Shut the US Senate Down

We hear from the pundits and politicians that there is nothing that can be done by the United States Congress to end our Nation’s involvement in Iraq. We have also learned now that a major supporter of George W. Bush, a supporter, the CEO of Hunt Oil, who is contributing 25 million dollars to his Library, has made an oil deal with the Kurds in northern Iraq that will most likely end any talk of solidifying the Nation of Iraq.
Ignorance is always bliss. When I read the Republican supporter Letters to the Editor I am miffed that these so called intelligent people continue to believe in George Bush’s war in Iraq and that they continue to think that the reason for the war was “weapons of mass destruction” rather than the real reason, OIL.
About a year ago the “Letter to the Editor” editor challenged me on my information regarding the cost of the war. I stated, from legitimate sources, that this war was going to cost over a trillion dollars. A trillion dollars that could have been spent on developing new energy sources, underwriting a one payer health care system, and for sure increasing taxpayer’s contributions to a terribly underfunded educational system, not to mention the environmental benefits of reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.
There is a way to end the war and to bring our men a women home, shut down the Senate and authorize funds for the sole purpose of redeployment. The blood of any American troop who dies as a result of this action by Congress will be on the hands of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, both of whom were cowards during the Viet Nam war, and their privileged buddies at Hunt Oil and Halliburton.

Life is Surreal

Is anyone having the same surreal week as me? First a “Family Values” Republican is caught in a men’s room soliciting sex from another man. Next a Miss Teenage America embarrasses the education system by suggesting that US Americans can’t find America on the map because most Americans don’t have maps. Then the leader of the free world, our President, is grateful to have been invited to an OPEC meeting that is in fact an “APEC” meeting. He then goes on to thank the Austrians for the support that the Australians have given to his war and there is more but not worth repeating, indeed I think Americans have become numb and, we have all learned to live with the embarrassment. Then to top the week off Osama bin Laden sends out a message to the American people in all his beard dyed glory. So I am asking myself, is all this real, am I living in a nightmare? So I say to myself, the Republican Senator needs to come out and stop living a lie and at the least stop bothering other men in men’s rooms. Miss Teenage America, third place, needs to make her agenda about promoting education, starting with herself. Mr. President of the USA needs to spend more time in the Rose Garden thinking about all the Americans he has dehumanized while all the time he has been living a charmed life. As for Osama bin Laden he has no fear that the beard dye is poisoned, I think the CIA tried to do that with Castro and failed but he should be dead, but he isn’t. President Bush promised that to the American people a few days after September 11, 2001, but he is not dead. Instead he is still allowed to spew his arrogance. Good Job George, not.

Adultery OK- As long as it is Heterosexual

Senator Larry Craig from the great State of “I da ho” declares that he is not Gay nor has he ever been Gay, and I agree with him 100%. Identifying oneself as Gay or Lesbian is not something that should be taken lightly; doing so is for sure a “Badge of Courage”, courage that Senator Craig seems to lack. An announcement that one is Gay or Lesbian in the United States immediately secures your position as a “second class” citizen and Senator Craig has not earned that “right”. Slithering in public men’s rooms for sex while writing legislation to demean ten percent of the population does not qualify anyone for Second Class Citizenship and Senator Craig needs to re evaluate his approach for achieving the dignity of this classification. Senator Craig, from all accounts, is a homophobic homosexual, he is not gay, he is a very dangerous person, to the Gay and Lesbian Community and to himself.

All that said, as I see it Senator Craig never committed a crime. It seems, from the reports that I read, that he invited, via toe tapping and hand movements, a sexual encounter and he pleaded guilty to a “public nuisance” crime and for sure under emotional duress. Because of this he was demonized by the Republican Party, because and only because, it was a homosexual encounter. On the other hand Republican Senator Vetter, from Louisiana, who admitted to a crime of hiring and having sex with a prostitute, gets a free pass, because, and only because his encounter was heterosexual.

Every day, all across the USA, women are harassed by men in powerful positions. They have their butts pinched, they are threatened, either directly or indirectly with losing their jobs or passed over for promotions unless they submit to sexual advances. Women are constantly hit on in super markets, restaurants, bars, malls and in less courteous ways than what happened in the men’s room in Minneapolis Airport. Senator Craig never threatened anyone in that bathroom, he, from what I understand, was looking for sex but was not forcing himself on anyone, he gave a signal and the advance could have been totally ignored but because it was a homosexual encounter it became a major crime in the eyes of America’s “First Class” citizens.

Trust me I am not a Senator Craig fan nor am I am proponent of sex in public places, (get a room), but the obvious deconstruction of one Republican Senator who was “entrapped” and not caught in any real criminal act versus the acceptance of an adulterous Republican Senator who was not even censured secures the notion of a second class citizenship in this Nation.

Pandering To the Health Care Giants

My parents were poor Irish people in Philadelphia and were Republicans because the Republican Party responded to their needs. Imagine Republicans responding to the needs of the poor today. Most people, as they age, become more conservative, I on the other hand have become a progressive. Being a progressive, as I understand it, is truly in line with my Catholic Faith. Thus it is important to me that People of Faith acknowledge the failed system of rationing Health Care in our Country. Beyond life-style choices there are genetic differences that Republicans like Presidential Candidate Rudy Giuliani do not seem to understand or are so well endowed by those who profit from death and sickness that they don’t care. These differences are major health issues, heart problems, cancer, and the list goes on and on, and the costs will not and cannot be satisfied by the few puny dollars that the average American can place in a “Health Care Account”. If an Insurance Company, whose main objective is to make a profit, finds that you are suffering from a costly disease they are going to drop you like a hot potato. Mr. Giuliani suggests that we can forgo our choice of, food, clothing and shelter and place money into a “Health Care Account”. Perhaps Mr. Giuliani is preaching to the wealthy that needs tax breaks and tax shelters. He certainly is not preaching to the broader American Community, who are losing all their health care benefits because of this Republican administration and their adulation to “Corporate America”.
The United States is the only industrialized nation that has not attempted to secure Health Care as a right of its citizens. Even now as the US Congress debates securing additional Health Care for Children this Republican President has threatened a Veto. Shame on him.

Losing My Best Friend

If, during the night, I have to get up for whatever reason, I first have to look down and make sure I don’t step on my guardian. Any baby boomer boy would envy the fact that the real Lassie is not in Hollywood but living in River Club in Bradenton, FL. Ok, it is not the real Lassie, as a matter of fact, just between her and me, her real name is Mouse but publicly she is known as Lassie. She has been my buddy for twelve years now and like most pet owners the thought of her leaving me is just unbearable, but her time is near and I need to deal with it. She was recently diagnosed with inoperable tumors, big ones. I pretty much spent the few hours after being advised either crying alone, or inattentive to my surroundings. My best buddy, Lassie, my Mouse, needed me to make some decisions. I made a decision a long time ago that I would want the people who I love and who love me to allow me to die with dignity. I am not ready to make that decision for Mouse, yet, but I will when I know, and I will know, when the time is right.
Lassie will be the last pet I ever own, I am 60 years old and heading into the home stretch. My pets, all dogs, Flipper, Toto, Jeb, Mickey, Hans and yes Gretel, Daisy and Lassie the Mouse have all been a total comfort to me except for when I had to let them go.
There will be a time in the very near future when I will no longer have to look down to insure that I do not step on my guardian, Lassie. I will have to let her go and I will be certain that she leaves this world with my nose to hers, and as her little brown eyes less than an inch away close I hope that she is reassured that I love her.

Somebody Had to Say it - Thanks Keith

Olbermann: Bush, Cheney Should Resign
By Keith Olbermann
MSNBC Countdown
Tuesday 03 July 2007
'I didn't vote for him, but he's my president, and I hope he does a good job.'
"I didn't vote for him," an American once said, "But he's my president, and I hope he does a good job."
That - on this eve of the 4th of July - is the essence of this democracy, in 17 words. And that is what President Bush threw away yesterday in commuting the sentence of Lewis "Scooter" Libby.
The man who said those 17 words - improbably enough - was the actor John Wayne. And Wayne, an ultra-conservative, said them, when he learned of the hair's-breadth election of John F. Kennedy instead of his personal favorite, Richard Nixon in 1960.
"I didn't vote for him but he's my president, and I hope he does a good job."
The sentiment was doubtlessly expressed earlier, but there is something especially appropriate about hearing it, now, in Wayne's voice: The crisp matter-of-fact acknowledgement that we have survived, even though for nearly two centuries now, our Commander-in-Chief has also served, simultaneously, as the head of one political party and often the scourge of all others.
We as citizens must, at some point, ignore a president's partisanship. Not that we may prosper as a nation, not that we may achieve, not that we may lead the world - but merely that we may function.
But just as essential to the seventeen words of John Wayne, is an implicit trust - a sacred trust: That the president for whom so many did not vote, can in turn suspend his political self long enough, and for matters imperative enough, to conduct himself solely for the benefit of the entire Republic.
Our generation's willingness to state "we didn't vote for him, but he's our president, and we hope he does a good job," was tested in the crucible of history, and earlier than most.
And in circumstances more tragic and threatening. And we did that with which history tasked us.
We enveloped our President in 2001.And those who did not believe he should have been elected - indeed those who did not believe he had been elected - willingly lowered their voices and assented to the sacred oath of non-partisanship.
And George W. Bush took our assent, and re-configured it, and honed it, and shaped it to a razor-sharp point and stabbed this nation in the back with it.
Were there any remaining lingering doubt otherwise, or any remaining lingering hope, it ended yesterday when Mr. Bush commuted the prison sentence of one of his own staffers.
Did so even before the appeals process was complete; did so without as much as a courtesy consultation with the Department of Justice; did so despite what James Madison - at the Constitutional Convention - said about impeaching any president who pardoned or sheltered those who had committed crimes "advised by" that president; did so without the slightest concern that even the most detached of citizens must look at the chain of events and wonder: To what degree was Mr. Libby told: break the law however you wish - the President will keep you out of prison?
In that moment, Mr. Bush, you broke that fundamental com-pact between yourself and the majority of this nation's citizens - the ones who did not cast votes for you. In that moment, Mr. Bush, you ceased to be the President of the United States. In that moment, Mr. Bush, you became merely the President of a rabid and irresponsible corner of the Republican Party. And this is too important a time, Sir, to have a commander-in-chief who puts party over nation.
This has been, of course, the gathering legacy of this Administration. Few of its decisions have escaped the stain of politics. The extraordinary Karl Rove has spoken of "a permanent Republican majority," as if such a thing - or a permanent Democratic majority - is not antithetical to that upon which rests: our country, our history, our revolution, our freedoms.
Yet our Democracy has survived shrewder men than Karl Rove. And it has survived the frequent stain of politics upon the fabric of government. But this administration, with ever-increasing insistence and almost theocratic zealotry, has turned that stain into a massive oil spill.
The protection of the environment is turned over to those of one political party, who will financially benefit from the rape of the environment. The protections of the Constitution are turned over to those of one political party, who believe those protections unnecessary and extravagant and quaint.
The enforcement of the laws is turned over to those of one political party, who will swear beforehand that they will not enforce those laws. The choice between war and peace is turned over to those of one political party, who stand to gain vast wealth by ensuring that there is never peace, but only war.
And now, when just one cooked book gets corrected by an honest auditor, when just one trampling of the inherent and inviolable fairness of government is rejected by an impartial judge, when just one wild-eyed partisan is stopped by the figure of blind justice, this President decides that he, and not the law, must prevail.
I accuse you, Mr. Bush, of lying this country into war.
I accuse you of fabricating in the minds of your own people, a false implied link between Saddam Hussein and 9/11.
I accuse you of firing the generals who told you that the plans for Iraq were disastrously insufficient.
I accuse you of causing in Iraq the needless deaths of 3,586 of our brothers and sons, and sisters and daughters, and friends and neighbors.
I accuse you of subverting the Constitution, not in some misguided but sincerely-motivated struggle to combat terrorists, but to stifle dissent.
I accuse you of fomenting fear among your own people, of creating the very terror you claim to have fought.
I accuse you of exploiting that unreasoning fear, the natural fear of your own people who just want to live their lives in peace, as a political tool to slander your critics and libel your opponents.
I accuse you of handing part of this Republic over to a Vice President who is without conscience, and letting him run roughshod over it.
And I accuse you now, Mr. Bush, of giving, through that Vice President, carte blanche to Mr. Libby, to help defame Ambassador Joseph Wilson by any means necessary, to lie to Grand Juries and Special Counsel and before a court, in order to protect the mechanisms and particulars of that defamation, with your guarantee that Libby would never see prison, and, in so doing, as Ambassador Wilson himself phrased it here last night, of becoming an accessory to the obstruction of justice.
When President Nixon ordered the firing of the Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox during the infamous "Saturday Night Massacre" on October 20th, 1973, Cox initially responded tersely, and ominously.
"Whether ours shall be a government of laws and not of men, is now for Congress, and ultimately, the American people."
President Nixon did not understand how he had crystallized the issue of Watergate for the American people.
It had been about the obscure meaning behind an attempt to break in to a rival party's headquarters; and the labyrinthine effort to cover-up that break-in and the related crimes.
And in one night, Nixon transformed it.
Watergate - instantaneously - became a simpler issue: a President overruling the inexorable march of the law of insisting - in a way that resonated viscerally with millions who had not previously understood - that he was the law.
Not the Constitution. Not the Congress. Not the Courts. Just him.
Just - Mr. Bush - as you did, yesterday.
The twists and turns of Plame-Gate, of your precise and intricate lies that sent us into this bottomless pit of Iraq; your lies upon the lies to discredit Joe Wilson; your lies upon the lies upon the lies to throw the sand at the "referee" of Prosecutor Fitzgerald's analogy. These are complex and often painful to follow, and too much, perhaps, for the average citizen.
But when other citizens render a verdict against your man, Mr. Bush - and then you spit in the faces of those jurors and that judge and the judges who were yet to hear the appeal - the average citizen understands that, Sir.
It's the fixed ballgame and the rigged casino and the pre-arranged lottery all rolled into one - and it stinks. And they know it.
Nixon's mistake, the last and most fatal of them, the firing of Archibald Cox, was enough to cost him the presidency. And in the end, even Richard Nixon could say he could not put this nation through an impeachment.
It was far too late for it to matter then, but as the decades unfold, that single final gesture of non-partisanship, of acknowledged responsibility not to self, not to party, not to "base," but to country, echoes loudly into history. Even Richard Nixon knew it was time to resign
Would that you could say that, Mr. Bush. And that you could say it for Mr. Cheney. You both crossed the Rubicon yesterday. Which one of you chose the route, no longer matters. Which is the ventriloquist, and which the dummy, is irrelevant.
But that you have twisted the machinery of government into nothing more than a tawdry machine of politics, is the only fact that remains relevant.
It is nearly July 4th, Mr. Bush, the commemoration of the moment we Americans decided that rather than live under a King who made up the laws, or erased them, or ignored them - or commuted the sentences of those rightly convicted under them - we would force our independence, and regain our sacred freedoms.
We of this time - and our leaders in Congress, of both parties - must now live up to those standards which echo through our history: Pressure, negotiate, impeach - get you, Mr. Bush, and Mr. Cheney, two men who are now perilous to our Democracy, away from its helm.
For you, Mr. Bush, and for Mr. Cheney, there is a lesser task. You need merely achieve a very low threshold indeed. Display just that iota of patriotism which Richard Nixon showed, on August 9th, 1974.
Resign.
And give us someone - anyone - about whom all of us might yet be able to quote John Wayne, and say, "I didn't vote for him, but he's my president, and I hope he does a good job."

No One’s Civil Rights Should Be Decided by Referendum

In the 1960’s a number of legislative Civil Rights bills that granted rights to Black Americans were passed by the United States Congress and signed by the presiding President. If any of those issues were presented as Referendums to be voted on by the majority of Americans they would have all failed. If any of them were left to the States we would today have an America similar to what we had prior to the bloody and violent Civil War.
Today, all across America individual States are amending their Constitutions to deny the Civil Rights of a small and harmless minority which is only seeking the right to be who God created them to be.
Gays and Lesbians have served our Country with honor throughout our history, and have been demonized for doing so. Gays and lesbians have served the “Church” for centuries and have been demonized for doing so.
Peter Sprigg’s response (Peter Sprigg is vice president for policy at the Family Research Council)in the USA Today’s June 25th, 2007 editorial column suggests to me that he believes that any marriage that does not result in children is null and void. I think all American’s should take note of this fanatical thinking. Peter is suggesting that seniors who marry should not be given the benefits that Government offers to married people, folks who are married and do not conceive should not be given the benefits either, indeed according to his philosophy their marriages should be ended and not recognized by the “State”.
Peter’s organization seems to want to be the “determinator” of what Love and marriage is all about, they are not. He says people in Marriage “ are happier, healthier and more prosperous than people in any other living situation”. Yet he and his organization are willing to deny Gays and lesbians a happier, healthier and more prosperous life. I don’t get it.

Screwing Veterans-Not to Mention All Americans

I am posting this info as a result of a recent article in the Sarasota Herald Tribune regarding the outsourcing of Veterans health care by the Veterans Administration to HMO’s. While I understand and support the notion that Veteran’s living in areas not supported by VA Health facilities has to be addressed, it will not be surprising to me that those who run the HMO Insurance Companies will eventually leave our Veterans high and dry for some faulty reason and will leave a Veteran without any life saving recourse.
Any politician that does not investigate this absurdity by the Veterans Administration is not worth their weight in salt. It seems, once more, that this nation knows how to create Veterans, but has no idea or will to take care of them.
Thirty one years ago when I was a young accounting supervisor, for a major petroleum company I attended an annual seminar on employee benefits conducted by our Human Resources Department. As a young man I was impressed with the then Vice President of Human Resources suggesting that there was a crisis in the Health Care system in America. He knew then, back in 1976, that the healthcare system in the United States was heading for a fall. I began to think a little more about the issue and realized that most people are literally slaves to Corporate America in one way or another and since most health care insurance is tied to a person’s job one of the greatest limiting factors to the mobility, creativity and entrepreneurship in America is the limitations placed on Americans and their families by the so called “free market” by the rationing of Health Care and its favoritism towards wealthy Americans.

Americans have the opportunity to "seize the moment" and force their politicians to respond to their needs, all you have to do is shout out,loud and clear, I HAVE HAD ENOUGH, and mean it.

If the politicians do not respond, fire them. Take away their Health Care Insurance and see how they feel. If they are really wealthy, take away their wealth, via ridiculous taxes until they respond to the middle class.

No one needs billions of dollars to live a good life. But if it takes a billionaire to set things right then I am all for him.

Republican Hypocrisy - Somebody Make it Go Away

It should come as no surprise that I am confused about the current slate of Republican candidates seeking the nomination of their party for the Presidency of the United States. For the past six years my community has been diminished and demonized by the Republican Party and now their leading candidates are; a serial monogamous, Rudy Giuliani, A Mormon, Mitt Romney, who’s Religion has not yet stricken the words of Joseph Smith regarding Polygamy from their “Book”, Newt Gingrich, an unannounced candidate, who debated the terms of his divorce while his wife was recovering from an operation (at the same time leading the charge to impeach Clinton and cheating on his wife with a chorus singer who sang at the national Catholic Cathedral), and Fred Thompson, a divorced man, how’s that Marriage Oath go, “until death do us part?” All of these so called moral mistakes or weaknesses would mean nothing to me if not for the fact that for the past six years the Republican Party has been finding a way to peek into my bedroom and dehumanize me and 10% of America. Republican hypocrisy is highlighted in the photo of Dick Cheney and his wife holding there grandchild without the parents. That the parents allowed that photo to be shot and published is even more absurd and demeans all children who are lucky enough to have two loving parents, whether same sex or otherwise.
When choosing a President, it is important to me that the person finds a way to unite our divided country. His/her personal choices in the affairs of love really have nothing to do with their ability to manage our economy, this absurd war, the health-care in our Nation, care of our veterans, immigration, and fear. Hopefully during this election cycle the one issue voters will expand their minds and do what is best for all Americans.

Meglomaniac America

President Bush recently made the statement that no one would interfere in “his government”. I guess I am behind the times because I always thought that the United States Government was the Government of the American People and not the domain of the Bush family. Megalomania can be harmless in the minds of the powerless but when it infects the leader of the most powerful nation in the world it can result in disaster. It seems as though this megalomania is running rampant in Washington based on the recent statements of Connecticut Senator Lieberman. Senator Lieberman now wants to bomb Iran based on “evidence” that he apparently is not willing to share with the American people. If Americans, (i.e., poor Americans since the wealthy have no reason to sacrifice since they have the poor to fight their battles), are going to offer their children to the Bush/Lieberman megalomaniacs then I think we need to have solid and confirmed evidence(not by them but by third party nations) that offering our children so their friends can play golf and cruise the Gulf, is in the interest of all Americans.
We as a society have grown so inept in understanding what it is to have a bomb dropped on our houses. War is not a computer game. We think that we are special among nations, we are not, we are a nation among nations. Most of us are just lucky to have been born here. That “luck” allows us to speak our minds, at least for now. I believe that Americans, other than those families who have experienced the ultimate sacrifice of a loved one or are struggling with the military and/or the Veterans Administration and know what losing a life or the quality of life to war is all about, have no clue what it is to sacrifice and be a true American.

A Time for Thanksgiving-Not Always in November

I know it’s not Thanksgiving but we are a grateful people and we need to always take the opportunity to thank people for the good things that they have done.

So let me start out by thanking the President of the United States for creating a war that ultimately determined that this nation is no longer divided 50/50. Indeed we are now are divided 70/30 and that probably won’t change much. It is important, however, to thank that 30% of Americans who stand by George Bush. They continually remind me and all of America that despite attempts by George Bush to destroy our Constitution and defame the integrity of the Declaration of Independence, that they have finally been put on notice that the people of the United States will no longer put up with their intolerance, ignorance and shallow thinking.

We have wasted six, going on seven years cow towing to ignorance. We all should extend a grateful thanks to that 30% for the wake-up call to all of American.

It is remarkable to me that this Congress of the United States cannot find sufficient data to prosecute this Administration. A previous President was impeached for a crime against his wife, yet this President who has caused the death of over 3,000 young Americans and life-long injuries to tens of thousands more, is not held accountable for his phony war, in any way, shape or form.

America should indeed be thankful to the Creator that there are only 30% of Americans who continue to think that this President has served honorably despite the fact that he hasn’t. And if you look at his Military record, if it can be found, he has not served at all.

What I would recommend to that 30% of American’s who continue to feel that George Bush is the Savior of this Nation is that you immediately write to your Congressperson, and demand the reinstitution of the Military Draft, this time without exemptions, like in Dick Cheney's plea, "I had better things to do" (didn't we all).

I suspect if that happened that 30% may drop even lower and ignorance and intolerance may start to dwindle.

Goodbye Jerry Falwell and Good Riddance

Jerry Falwell is dead and I have been struggling with my conscience about being nice or not, my conscience says follow the theme of your Blog and be truthful, so be it.

So here goes, Jerry Falwell was, in my opinion, one of the most hypocritical religious figures ever to use Christ as a means to acquire wealth. Don’t get me wrong, his counterpart Pat Robertson is probably the most obnoxious and the biggest blood sucking legionnaire of the anti-Christ.

But I digress, the issue is Jerry Falwell and while all the politicians will be praising his name and all the great accomplishments none will offer to the public his most famous positions:

“Billy Graham is the chief servant of Satan in America”

“If you're not a born-again Christian, you're a failure as a human being”

“AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals”

“It appears that America's anti-Biblical feminist movement is at last dying, thank God, and is possibly being replaced by a Christ-centered men's movement which may become the foundation for a desperately needed national spiritual awakening”

“The whole (global warming) thing is created to destroy America's free enterprise system and our economic stability”

“Homosexuality is Satan's diabolical attack upon the family that will not only have a corrupting influence upon our next generation, but it will also bring down the wrath of God upon America.”

"[homosexuals are] brute beasts...part of a vile and satanic system [that] will be utterly annihilated, and there will be a celebration in heaven.”

These are just some examples of how Jerry Falwell leached his way to wealth while diminishing other human beings. I am sure that the gates of Hell are strewed with flames tonight as they welcome Jerry Falwell home. With any luck they will stoke up the flames for his comfort.

I am told that it is not within my power to forgive, only God can forgive, hence I will not forgive Jerry Falwell for all the pain and suffering he has brought to this Nation. The division he has caused using a saber that he called Christ is unforgivable in the mind of a sane patriotic American.

Goodbye Jerry Falwell and good riddance, if God was really good She would have dumped you in Hell a lot sooner.

I'm Not Ready To Make Nice - No Reason To

This is an excerpt from the Dixie Chicks song “I’m Not Ready To Make Nice”

I'm not ready to make nice,
I'm not ready to back down,
I'm still mad as hell
And I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is
You think I should.

This is great music and a great sentiment. These words were written after these women were literally crucified by Country Music because they chose to express their freedom of speech in opposition to George Bush’s War. They were threatened by “red” blooded Americans with assassination and their music was literally banned from Country music radio. They told the truth and they were demonized by America for doing so.

This is what this Republican administration has done to so many people of truth and all Americans should not be ready to make nice.

Shame on America for falling into the trap but congratulations to three women and their team for sticking to their guns..

Hate becomes Christianity and Islam - They are reflections of each other.

"This country will not be a permanently good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a reasonably good place for all of us to live in." Theodore Roosevelt, Chicago, IL, June 17, 1912.
On October 6-7, 1998 outside of Laramie, Wyoming, a young gay, Matthew Sheperd, was beaten to a pulp and left to die because he was gay.
Mahoud Asgari, 17 and Ayaz Marhoni,16 were publicly hanged in Edalat Square in Iran on July 19, 2005, after they were accused of being lovers by the Islamic Government.
On the night of March 13-14, 2007 just outside of Winter Haven, Florida, a young gay man was stabbed 20 times, his throat was slit and his body dumped on the side of the road, the reason for this, he was gay.
The United States House of Representatives recently passed a bill to include this type abhorrent violence directed solely against America’s seemingly final minority, as a repugnant crime. Yet the President of the United States has vowed to veto this legislation. One has to ask why any President would condone this type of behavior. As it turns out Christian leadership is on the vanguard of pressuring the President’s veto. Their argument is that they will not be able to spread the “Gospel” if their interpretations of the Gospels include spreading hatred against one small community. They are afraid they might be held accountable, as they should, for murder and violence in the name of Jesus.
The United States Constitution guarantees the right of separation of Church and State and that Government will not interfere in the affairs of Religion or that Religion should not interfere in the rights of American citizens pursuing their freedoms of Religion or from religion, and most of all their pursuit of the Freedom from being murdered and mutilated by Christian or Islamic fundamentalists.

The Master Illusionist-George Bush

An Illusionist performs acts that are erroneous perceptions of reality. For example, four years ago President Bush stood on the deck of an American Aircraft Carrier in front of a banner that stated “Mission Accomplished”. That was an illusion performed by an illusionist. Theatre on the other hand is a dramatization of truth as the author of the work understands it.
We have heard suggestions from the Bush Administration that the current “emergency” funding bill that will come before him is Political Theatre; it is, for sure. But it does not come close to the Theatre of the Absurd or the magic acts that this administration has performed during the prior six years of unsupervised spending.
The current legislation sent to the President contains billions of dollars in emergency funding for his war and it also includes $21 billion for storm repairs in the Gulf of Mexico, drought relief for farmers, Medicaid reimbursement for doctors and hospitals and funding for children's health insurance.
The bill includes upgrading the science of warfare as regards to protecting our troops against IEDs. The bill underwrites an increase in the services to our Veterans, something that this administration forgot before they went to war. “Oh, we are going to have veterans”? It provides for better living conditions for our troops families and it funds the reconstruction of our National Guard. Why we have an “emergency” funding bill should be a question for everyone since we have been in this quagmire for a long, long time, thus it should be part of our national budget.
When President Bush Veto’s this bill, and we all know he will, he will have finally stated to the people of America that he has no regard for America’s Armed Forces, he is only an illusionist who is delusional.

When Comfort Zones are No Longer a Comfort

For about 5 years now my partner and I have been orchestrating, totally on a volunteer basis, a fund raiser in Florida. It has been considered one of the more fun times for the Lesbian and Gay Community in our area. It has also always been conducted with dignity as both of us are fully aware of the “eyes of the homophobe” always looking on us, just waiting for the little mistake.

The people who operate the venue for this event and the employees who work at the facility have always, in the past, been 100% cooperative and as a result I personally have always felt welcomed at this venue. Indeed the employees love this event because they make a lot of money in tips and it is just a fun time.

But this year was different. It started out with threats by the “new” assistant manager. He informed us that if anyone found anything to be offensive, he would send all the employees home and thus shut down the fundraiser. Not being the spokesperson for the event I was silent, but in my mind I was wondering who is going to be the judge of what is offensive, knowing fully that of course he has set himself up to be the judge and, well jury is out of the question.

Would "offensive" to him be me hugging and kissing two lesbian women at the same time?, probably not, or would it be me planting a big wet kiss on my lover for all the hard work he has done? Who knows but I knew then and there that my personal conduct had to be in line with what the homophobic "straight" community considers to be "non-offensive" because this fundraiser is an important one, at least for us. (Did I fail to mention that this venue was closed to anyone other then those who bought tickets?)

So we started the evening off on a sour note and for me that sour note once again reminded me that intolerance and ignorance is still the prevailing modus operandi in America, even in what we think to be tolerant businesses and tolerant communities. Fortunetly, no one but a few of us knew what was going on and all of our guests had a great time and we raised a lot of money.

As the night went on, as busy as I was, I kept hearing partial conversations with employees, over the noise of the event, being conducted by this “assistant manager” that only confirmed what I perceived to be the truth when he laid out his initial threats (I am blessed with my mother’s ears that are not only large, they can pick up signals from space). The tidbits were about AIDS and our “lifestyle”, no mention of course that half the people there were lesbian women, who we have come to know as God’s chosen people since their risk of HIV/AIDS is nil.

The real scourge of the night was this assistant manager suggesting that the venue that he was operating was a “family” place. No thought or consideration that everyone who attended this function was part of a family, and that my partner and I have lived as a family for 39 years. Yes, ignorance and intolerance prevails.

I volunteered long hours preparing for this event and my partner worked twice as hard, probably more, to bring this fundraiser to a successful conclusion. A fundraiser that would benefit our young Gay and Lesbian kids, our family, and also bring good GLBT awareness films to our so called liberal community. And just one single homophobe was able to deny me the fun of the evening.

I guess the message is that comfort zones can always be destroyed by one single bigot.

Author's Note: I am pleased to post that this time bigotry lost out to common sense and the dignity of a minority. Bigotry lost out big time, as it should, all the time.

Truth

I have, in my ageing years, always sought the truth (granted, the truth as I understand it). As such, at times I have compromised friendships along the way. In all honesty I would rather be a lonely old man living in a cave, sans friends, then to live without the truth.
As some of you know the anti gay Constitution Amendment initiatives are not over with yet. The Florida bigots get their chance at the ballot in 2008.
We learned from Michigan that the Catholic Church and its minions not only want to destroy gay marriage, they want to destroy gay relationships (I guess it is their way of recruiting more priests). Florida is facing the same language as Michigan and I guess Virginia. This Constitutional Amendment does not only ban gay Marriage, it bans contracts made between two people of the same sex. Your “Dual Power of Attorney” will be null and void. If either you or your partner depend on each other for Health Care Insurance under Domestic partner benefit rules, that will be gone. In the State of Florida Gay/Lesbian partners can not, today, decide the determination of their partners in the case of death. That is to say, a “blood relative” (you know, the one who would have nothing to do with you ever) has more rights then your life partner and will have total claim on your estate if the Constitutional Amendment, vigorously being promoted by the Roman Catholic Church is passed.
Just recently I received an email listing the names of those who signed the “petition” to place the Constitutional Amendment on the Ballot. On that list was a neighbor three doors away. This woman is a Catholic but she has always been nice to me. When I saw her name on the list I almost cried. This lady, with her baby, was in my home, she always came up to me at neighbor parties and was gracious but then I thought, you never know.
So I sent her a copy of the petition showing her name as a signer to ban gay marriage, explaining to her that her signature on this petition not only banned “gay marriage” if banned all contracts between gay men and women and not only released Governments and corporations from offering “domestic partner” benefits but made it unlawful for them to do so. In other words, many Gay Americans will lose their health care insurance.
She sent me an email saying that she never signed any petition. She is a Catholic and attends Catholic Church. My gut feeling and my gut is usually more than correct, is that the Roman Catholic Church has chosen to win at all cost, their souls dammed to hell, in order to destroy the Gay and Lesbian Community. Some aggressive “Catholics” in some Parishes took it upon themselves to sign the names of all the parishioners on their mailing lists, shame on them but shame on us for not taking them to task.
This is not my “Catholic Church”; this is an aberration if there ever was one.
So I have made it my promise and my mission to “OUT” any Gay person associated with the Roman Catholic Church. I can no longer tolerate flagrant hypocrisy I will no longer idly stand by and watch hypocrites preaching hate from pulpits then go sucking dick at the first opportunity, singing songs and clapping hands, while their Church diminishes the dignity of our relationships. This can not stand.
I am not quite sure why anyone would have a problem understanding the honesty of this message, bottom line, It has to stop…….game on.
Peace,
Bart

Virginia is for Lovers-but Not Gay Lovers

For now, enough about George bush and his lies. I know I am tired of him and I am sure most people are, time to move on, and hope that soon he will be gone. It’s time to have some serious talk about Faith.

When I was a sophomore in High School I volunteered to go on a retreat to a Trappist Monastery. So me and two friends, one of the Christian Brothers and his friend drove from Philadelphia to someplace south of Washington, DC to a Trappist Monastery, to pray, I guess.

Actually it was a thrilling experience, I was a city boy and other then cows on commercial I never came face to face with one. The Monks raised Black Angus and how was I to know a bull from a cow, they were all black and all looked the same to me.

When you are in an Abby you spend most of your time praying. Every three hours they trotted you off to the chapel to pray, in Latin. I am not sure if “yawning” is prayer but I did a lot of that.

But, back to the cows, when we were not “praying” I spent time dodging cow plops and bulls or distraught cows, they chased me. Perhaps they were Dyke Cows and wanted me out of their space. I was agreeable to that so I took on another mission.

I decided that I would get all the Monks that I came into contact with, to speak (they all took a vow of silence). I knew that “yes and no” questions would not work. So I devised a system of questions that would require more then a yes or no answer. “Why” is always a good way to start those questions. To be honest I saw the pain on the faces of some of these, I have to say, gorgeous men, and I just stopped the challenge.

So we left the Monastery, suitcases full of Trappist Jelly and headed home. On the way, in Virginia the Brother who was driving was pulled over to the side by a Police Officer. He, the Brother, apparently exceeded the speed limit in some, as I know now, to be some honky-tonk anti-Catholic town in Virginia (and I have been praying for the souls of that town ever since, NOT). We were sent to jail, three boys, two adult men, for probably doing 25 in a 20 mile zone. The only money the Christian Brother had on him was Christmas card money, so he said, that was collected for the school. That in itself was probably a mistake, Virginians do no like Catholics and money to support their schools was something to be taken away and probably given to their type of “Christianity”.

We were released and sent on our way and we had a few bucks between us so we traveled north and made a stop in Washington, DC to visit the Roman Catholic Shrine to the Immaculate Conception.

My Spirit that day was reborn. I watched women praying at the Blessed Mother’s altar, hoping for some kind of relief from whatever was paining them. As a 14/15 year old I knew whatever they were praying for probably will not happen because of their prayers, it will happen because some fine doctor of science will either fix the problem or determine that the problem can not be fixed with the technology available and some Priest will be drawn in to give them comfort.

I have no idea what those women were praying for but I know the very act of praying gave them comfort. But this is what I pray for,

• I pray that my life will be one that contributes to the Glory of God, whoever He/She is.
• I pray that my life partner and I will always be faithful to one another, truthful and dedicated to each others missions.
• I pray that every service in which I involve myself or my community I do so with distinction and merit.
• I pray that one day human kindness defeats ignorance and that we can move on with programs to benefit all humankind
• I pray that Families, however they manifest themselves, can be free from scorn and prejudice.
• I pray that one day Christians will truly understand the message of Jesus Christ and admit that His rule is that Revelation did not end with is Crucifixion and Resurrection.
• I pray that one day people will no longer make monetary profit by exploiting the Word of Christ.
• I pray that one day we understand that the preservation of Human Life includes those who we think should be killed by the State.
• I pray that one day we will understand that we, as a society, have a responsibility to dignify the lives we would have scorned the women from aborting by providing health care, jobs and most of all Dignity to their lives.
• I pray that one day all men (and women) in America will be recognized as being created equally and given the right to pursue the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America.

AMEN

Magical Mystery Tour - Truth

Whoa, I guess I am on a Magical Mystery Tour of my life, hence, I am going back even further to when I was about 7 years old and was told I needed to have a pair of Rosary Beads which would cost me fifty cents. So where was a kid whose family was buying groceries on “the eye” (that was credit in those days) going to find fifty cents? All of a sudden the opportunity presented itself. I was sent to the store to pick up groceries and with the cash to pay off the “eye”. After all was settled and groceries in “arms” I trotted back from the corner grocery store with change in hand, minus the fifty cents that I placed into my pocket for my Rosary Beads.

Joe and Mona were the merchants who ran the grocery store. To be honest I never knew they were Jewish and my parents never expressed any anti Semitism that I ever heard, indeed we lived in a neighborhood that was changing because of the “great black migration” to the North. In addition, before the blacks, we were more likely to be persuaded to not like Italians.

But I digress. The point is that I was sort of going to blame Joe and Mona for the $.50 shortage in the change, but I can tell you that did not work, at all. Turns out my Mom trusted Joe and Mona and was always grateful for their kindness to our family. They knew when we were on hard times and they “waved things off” sometimes, actually most of the time. So “little Bart” underwent torture that would bring out the truth, even from the prisoners at Guantanamo. I jest of course, my mother was disappointed that I would lie; she thought she taught me better. When I saw the disappointment in her face that day, that day was the day I learned not to lie, ever again. I promised my Mother "that day" that I would never lie again and I have remained faithful to that promise to my mother. I am so glad I made that promise because my life has been easier because of it.

While I am not a believer in the Bible, as factual,there is something in the Bible that suggests that a liar should be tied to a stone and thrown into the waters, drowned. I would perhaps choose not to kill a liar, or anyone else for that matter but there is a lot to be said about that, not to mention the hypocrisy which liars are associated.

And so here we are a government full of lies, afraid to face the people, under oath, and to tell the truth. It is apparent to me that those in control of the Federal Government now did not have good mothers, like I did. Their Mothers did not have the integrity, the honor and the love that would make a child so young to commit to honesty. As a kid I could have caused damage to two wonderful people but my Mom would not be a part of that, she was a humble women but she was truly fond of truth.

Bart

Bad CEOs Should be Fired

When I was in 8th grade we were assigned a project to draw maps of South America and identify their economic contribution to the world. While I have forgotten of what each country, at the time, contributed I do remember that Columbia was of course Coffee another was rubber and another was cacao, chocolate.

Now you got to remember this was almost 40 some years ago. In those days you could go to the pharmacist and by empty capsules, which I did. I created a map of South America and on that map I glued little capsules containing the legal exports of the South American countries. Of course as a pre teen I needed to experiment. I don’t remember which country was famous for “salt” exports but I decided to ingest their capsule of salt. Big mistake, for sure, I threw-up. I have since blamed my high blood pressure problem on some South American country ever since, but still not sure which one.

So where am I going with this? Very simple, while I no longer know the economic contributions of countries south of our border, other then human labor, If I was shown a map I could pick out each country, whether labeled or not. For that matter I could pretty much point to any country, other then the newly formed countries as a result of the Soviet Union disbandment. But can most American’s do that? The answer is no. Indeed many leaders in high places think Greenland is in the tropics.

Which brings me to religion, and you ask how did I go from Geography to Religion? Simple, it’s all about ignorance. Do any Americans understand that the reason Religion is not taught in our schools is because some Protestants, now identified as Fundamentalist, were afraid that somehow the Catholic religion would take over. So once again “Fundamentalist” create ignorance. Not only have they created a stain on Catholics they have promoted ignorance in America about other religious beliefs to the extent that some of our elected officials and worse of all most Americans have no idea of the difference between a Sunni and Shiite Islamic.

For those who have no clue and continue to think that there is no Civil War in Iraq, here is the simple take….Sunni Arabs have controlled Iraq for, hummm, probably a century. Shiite Islam is pretty much a Persian sect, Iran and moving westward via Lebanon, but believers occupy the southern portion of Iraq. Shiite’s have been diminished under the rule of Saddam Hussein. Indeed, back in the first Gulf War President Bush, the good one was criticized for not moving into Bagdad and leaving the Shiite in the South of Iraq and the Northern Kurds to the mercy of Saddam. He knew what he was doing, he respected the cost to America’s treasury in lives and economic resources, his son, and the current President did not, has not and apparently will not.

The Global problem with this war is that if we leave now Iran will indeed control the world’s largest petroleum reserves. Not only that, they will be able to create a “crescent” of terror in the Middle East that will endanger our current way of living not to mention the fear that will ensue in the State of Israel.

So how do we solve the problem that George Bush has created and that his Secretary of State, in the words of Donald Trump, “she just keeps waving” but does not seem to be very effective? Simple, get rid of the problem. Since America is now all about corporate enterprise and rules then the failed CEO should be fired, at once.

Stand by Your Country

Using a credit card (s) can be damaging to your wealth, or so we have been told and so many have learned the hard way. However, as any Republican, from the President on down will tell you, borrowing is a good thing, it stimulates the economy, it creates innovation and helps people to start and upkeep their businesses. And so it is, Americans, under Republican rule have probably borrowed us into a "depression". Trillions of dollars being spent on the War in Iraq, today and in the future, assuming that America will continue to “Support the Troops” when the bill for their health care, inclusive of psychological care, comes due. This Administration has been caught in the Wall Street web of “instant gratification”. They never, ever, plan for the future, they never planned beyond “Mission Accomplished”; they never had any thoughts or planned for the future of the health and welfare of the American people. This Republican Administration blew it after September 11, 2001, America was humbled but she was loved by the entire world, now she is an object of scorn throughout the world. I think it should be pretty obvious to most Americans, by now, that the current Republican agenda is to bankrupt the American treasury to the benefit of the International agendas of their financial supporters and to drag the American Middle class into poverty in order to compete in their so called Global Economy. I never thought that “impeachment” was a good thing to do, it distracted the Administration and the Nation from important business, in this case I not only think it is the correct thing to do, I think it is the only thing to do before this Administration causes anymore harm to this country. For those who think that not supporting the President in this time of crises I would like to quote one of America’s really great presidents, a man who understood what it means to protect the American people and, goodness, the environment we live in. “Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official...”~Theodore Roosevelt

“We just don’t get its”. March 16, 2007

This Week's “WE THE PEOPLE JUST DON’T GET IT”

It is the end of the week, March 16, 2007, and boy what a week it has been for “We just don’t get its”.

1. The Catholic Bishop St. Paul/Minnesota telling a group of Catholic clergy and laity, meeting to discuss ministry to the Gay and Lesbian Community that they may not have a Mass. New Ways Ministry is sponsoring this convention that is drawing about five hundred people. On this front I have no clue why the Bishop even cares since New Ways Ministry’s, the organization sponsoring the event, is not recognized by the Roman Church. On the other hand I have no idea why the event sponsors would make a big deal out of the Bishop’s megalomaniac response to a small group of Catholics trying to be Christ like by including everyone into the Body of Christ.

Have your Mass celebrate your Faith and the devil with the Bishop of St. Paul/Minneapolis. What's he going to do, send in those old farts from the Knights of Columbus on white horses with swords drawn to slay you? You are not going to make “him” love or respect you by cow towing to his demands, but for sure Christ will smile on you if you go ahead and be good representatives of His love and compassion for all creation.

On the other hand we all need to consider that the Roman Catholic Bishops are competing for "flock" against the second “I just don’t get it” of the week.

2. This week a Baptist Minister has suggested that “homosexuality” may be “nature” and not “nurture” or a "choice". Hooray for Rev. Albert Mohler. Oops, not so fast, he also suggested that in-uterus hormonal treatments could, in the future, solve the homosexual problem and that Christian families would embrace this. God bless his little heart and mind. To be honest if the Baptists would stop ordaining their ministers in-uterus the world in general would be a happier place.

3. General Pace – This is a sad story. If I had known that General Pace was such a bigot I would never have had sexual fantasies with him being the star. I still have only one General left and I am not sharing his name because the next thing I know you will all be pouncing on him and I will be left in the cold. In the meantime, General Pace, when he is once again a civilian, should be allowed to share his understanding of morality with anyone and everyone. On the other hand, when he is in the service of our Country, in uniform, he has an obligation to respect all American citizens, whether he understands them or not. During the past six years the denial of equal rights to Gay and Lesbian citizens of the United States has been the only domestic issue that Republicans have addressed. I would remind General Pace that his duty to this country applies to all of America and his religious beliefs are better left to him, his family and his god.

4. George Bush leaves town and everything falls apart? Not really, when the house of cards begins to crumble there is nothing that can save it, but the glue of truth. It is not likely that Karl Rove is the “Glue of Truth”, quite the opposite, he is the oil that will relegate this Administration in the dump heap of failure. Emails can kill you if you are not honest and truthful in every aspect of your life and your communication. The only people who should fear emails are those who have something to hide. Karl Rove and the current White House should never have had the ability use “email” they have too much to hide. So the first in a long string of scum will have to face “the people”, under oath and find another way to spin "their truth". It is going to be fun to watch as Karl Rove and numerous operative liars are subpoenaed. My guess is that the Attorney General will “fall on his sword” and “the people” will never get the truth.

5. Valerie Plame – I spent all day watching C SPAN and am wondering why that little ole fat f—k Robert Novak is not in jail for undermining the security of the American People. To be honest he should be in Guantanamo with all the other terrorists.

Bigotry/Hyprocrisy - It's all the Same

General Peter Pace has done more harm to the spirit of the Constitution of the United States then anyone in the Bush Administration, and that is saying a lot. General Pace has put his religious convictions ahead of the Freedoms that he and the United States Military are sworn to uphold. However, he is not alone. We have known for years that bigoted so called Christians have consumed the military, in particular the Air Force Academy, their objective being to convert everyone to their regressive “Christian” thought.

Isn’t it bad enough that Islamic leadership has fallen into a regressive thinking, has given up all thought of understanding the Universe that God has created? Do we, one of the less civilized modern nations, have to stoop lower then those who choose to give up their natural resources to the highest bidder only to use the profits to diminish their people while creating war and killing human beings, wholesale?

Peter Pace is just one example of how ignorance and prejudice can influence the Foreign Policy of this Nation. This Administration has surrounded itself with neo-conservative anti Christ minnow minds.

However, in keeping with the theme of this Blog, where is the Voice of the Roman Catholic Church, oh, I know, they are still mopping up their pedophile mess, blaming gays for their indiscretions and moving collaborating Bishops to a safe place out of the Country.

The Catholic Church should be on the front lines of this war. The Church should first denounce General Pace for diminishing the dignity and humanity of God’s creation of Gay and Lesbian citizens. The Church should demand that a total accounting of the number of Iraqi civilians be made public. Since the Church is bent on getting political the Bishops should demand that the War be ended, at once.

The Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church are co- conspirators in the tragedy now known as the Viet Nam 2, IRAQ. They waste their time going after what they consider a common enemy, which is not an enemy at all but just a few citizens trying to achieve their rights under the Constitution of the United States. The saddest part of all of this is that a large percentage of them are gay.

In accordance with Church teaching, life is precious and should not be wasted or diminished. In accordance with the Constitution of the United States the Roman Church needs to worship freely but they should never be allowed to promote a political agenda, should they continue to do so then all their properties and all their income should be taxed.

In conclusion, General Pace needs to resign from his position, he has shown himself to be a bigot and the United States can not afford to have bigots in charge, anymore.

Bart

Museum Caretakers

I suppose being Catholic and being confused in the modern world is not necessarily an oxymoron, but I do have to confess that confused I am. I read recently that one of our Catholic Bishops was sent to the retirement farm prematurely because he had the audacity to reach out to the people who could be compared to the lepers in Christ’s time. But that is not the primary source of my confusion. I have been a lay leader of the abandoned Gay and Lesbian Catholic Dignity Community in Sarasota Florida for four years. We have extended our hand to the local Bishops and not surprising we were slapped in the face. The more disappointing surprise has been the lack of compassion and outreach by local pastors and priests. My confusion is that we, as lay persons, are left to provide a sanctuary to Gay and Lesbian Catholics while the clergy seeks self growth within the Church all the time ignoring the true mission of Christ, to love one another.
There will be a time, if the current philosophy of the Church holds, when the Vatican will only be the curators of a large museum and will be looked upon as one of the greatest failures in Christendom. This I promise will happen if they continue on the course they are on.

Pope Wins Another Award

The Pope wins an award for being the Anti Gay Person of the Year. I had to chuckle because as a devout Catholic I pretty mush consider him to be the most irrelevant person of the year right below Anna Nicole Smith. The Pope and the Catholic Church has very little importance in the modern world today because of their choosing. The megalomania of Catholic Cardinals and Bishops has exposed Catholic children to a life time of psychological scars while Catholic Priests have been ripping off the treasury. We can see the diminution of the power of the Vatican in Spain, France, and Canada and gosh darn it, in Mexico City, go figure. The Church has a need to survive and in order to do so the leadership has chosen to appeal to the ignorant side of humanity. So be it, it is probably time for the Western World to understand that the Roman Catholic Church leadership has chosen as their fate to be the care takers of a museum and are no longer responsible for caring for human frailty. The Pope should not have been given the honor of Anti Gay Person of the year; he should just have been denounced to be the Fool of the Year.