President Obama talks to unions about the auto industry, and in his discussion, talks about what values really are. This is the president I voted for. I’m glad to see him back.
President Obama Talks Values
Reply
Democrats for Santorum
I found this video and had to share. Second City Network released a comedy sketch ad campaign urging Democrats to vote for Santorum in open primary states.
While I think Obama would trounce Santorum if Santorum did somehow get the Republican presidential nomination, I still don’t know if what this video proposes is a good idea. I want Santorum as far from The White House as possible.
The video made me chuckle though.
(video via Joemygod)
Oprah and the Oscars: Jimmy Kimmel Live
I’m a huge Jimmy Kimmel fan, and if you missed his after-the-Oscars show last night, chances are you missed these two funny bits.
First up is Jimmy’s last sketch with Oprah. He is pitching some ideas for Oprah’s network, some of which I would definitely watch. I think a Book Club Fight Club and Dr. Vajayjay would be a hoot!
The second is a star-studdent movie premiere for Kimmel’s Movie: The Movie, which tackles all the movie genres in one film.
Enjoy!
20 Years Ago: “Wayne’s World” #1 in Box Office
It’s hard to believe that 20 years ago, “Wayne’s World” hit the box office and became the #1 movie for its weekend release. That weekend alone, the movie grossed over $11 million. I just had to share the “Bohemian Rhapsody” scene, as it’s one of my favorites and a favorite of my college fraternity brothers at the time.
Marriage Equality Bill Advances in Maryland
Earlier today, a marriage equality bill passed by a vote of 7-4 in the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, as reported by ThinkProgress. The measure now heads to the Senate floor, where it is expected to pass. Governor Martin O’Malley has promised to sign the bill into law if it makes it to his desk. This brings us yet another potential victory for marriage equality in the nation.
Santorum: Obama is a “Phony” Christian
Just when I think Rick Santorum can’t possibly seem any more like scum and any less like a viable presidential candidate, he opens his mouth and spews even more vitriol and idiocy.
According to ABC News, at a recent speaking engagement to a Tea Party group in Pennsylvania, Santorum had this to say about President Obama:
The ‘president’s agenda’ is ‘not about you… It’s not about your quality of life. It’s not about your job…It’s about some phony ideal, some phony theology…Oh, not a theology based on the Bible, a different theology, but no less a theology.’”
Obviously, Santorum is trying to garner votes through false information and fear. Obama is a Christian, and even if he wasn’t, would it really matter in the grand scheme of things? Nowhere in the Constitution does it state that the President must be a Christian. Our country has no national religion and “claims” to believe in the separation of the Church and the State. Therefore, the President’s religion shouldn’t be a factor, yet it always seems to be!
And Santorum knows how to play to that. He calls his opposition un-Christian and, by proxy, anti-American. Do we really want someone like this to even have a shot at the presidency?
Of course, representatives from Santorum’s camp understand how counter-productive his statement was and are now attempting damage control as you can see in the following statement:
‘The President says he’s a Christian and Rick believes that and has even said so publicly many times,’ National Communications Director Hogan Gidley said in a statement. ‘Rick was talking about the President’s belief in the secular theology of government — and how believing that theology is dangerous because government theology teaches that it’s perfectly fine (to) take away our individual God-given rights and freedoms. Our founders wrote the Constitution to protect our individual rights and freedoms, but it’s clear that President Obama believes the government should control your life. Rick Santorum believes in the Constitution and will always fight to protect our freedoms.’”
What I learn from this is that Santorum (and his camp) doesn’t want the government to run our lives; they want religious government, which would be what Santorum would bring to The White House, to run our lives.
That isn’t the nation our forefathers wanted. They had first-hand knowledge of the fate of the people when religion and government ruled as one. Do we really want that? Santorum does.
Marriage Equality: Where Are We At?
There has been a lot of movement in marriage equality recently that I felt it best to wrangle all the information together in one post.
We already know that marriage equality currently exists in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Iowa, and Washington D.C. Here’s where we stand in other states.
Washington State
Most recently, Washington State Governor Chris Gregoire signed a marriage equality bill just last week. The law will go into effect on June 7 if signatures for a voter referendum aren’t received by June 6. Marriage equality opponents are quickly exploring all their options in order to prevent homosexual couples from marrying in their state.
I see this as a tentative victory. If the voter referendum fails, then marriage equality will be good for Washington State.
New Jersey
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vetoed the marriage equality bill, which was passed by both state houses, on Friday. Gov. Christie’s conditional veto included “the creation of a strong Ombudsman for Civil Unions to carry on New Jersey’s strong tradition of tolerance and fairness. The Ombudsman will be charged with increasing awareness of the law regarding civil unions, will provide a clear point of contact for those who have questions or concerns and will be required to report any evidence of the law being violated,” as reported by ThinkProgress.
This is an epic failure for Gov. Christie. Even though the people support marriage equality, Christie allowed his personal beliefs to cloud his responsibility to the people he serves.
Maryland
The Maryland House of Representatives passed a marriage equality bill on Friday. The measure heads to the Senate Judiciary Committee, and if it passes there, it will head to the full assembly.
This has the potential to be another victory for marriage equality.
California
With the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision to uphold Judge Walker’s ruling that declared Proposition 8 unconstitutional, marriage equality has the potential to return to the state after the Supreme Court of the United States decides to hear the case or not.
In my opinion, this is a victory-in-waiting. I firmly believe that if the SCotUS hears the case, they will decide marriage inequality as unconstitutional. After all, it has been the SCotUS that has brought civil rights to the land.
Illinois
A marriage equality bill titled the Religious Freedom and Marriage Freedom Act was introduced earlier this month. The success of the measure isn’t known even though it has the support of the governor.
I still see this as a success even though the outcome is unknown. With gubernatorial support, marriage equality in Illinois has potential.
Rhode Island
Last year, Rhode Island allowed civil unions for same-sex couples, but advocates in the state are calling for marriage equality, and a bill will “definitely” be introduced during this legislative session.
To me, this is another victory.
Overall, that’s a lot of progress in a relatively short span of time. Within the next year or two, we could have marriage equality in over 10 states, especially when you can recall Massachusetts being the first and only state where gay marriage was ever legal.
The New Homeless: Gay Kids Put Out Like Trash
As a parent, I find it difficult to believe that any parent could toss their child out of their home for any reason. But, unfortunately, that is what is happening to many gay youths who come out to their parents.
ThinkProgress reports that “There are approximately 1.6 million to 2.8 million homeless young people in the United States and a disproportionate number — 20 to 40 percent — are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender [and that] LGBT youth often run away from home because of family conflict.”
CBS4, a Miami news affiliate, did a story about the problem in their city.
Here’s the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz1Msg551X0Based on the video, many parents who discard their children like “trash” also tell them that they “wish they were dead.” These are most likely the same groups of people who claim homosexuals are threatening traditional family values. I know of no gay parent who has ever discarded their child for being different. In fact, most gay parents, who adopt, take in children who have been cast off by their heterosexual parents.
Children, no matter what, deserve their parents’ unconditional love and support. To offer anything less is unacceptable, irresponsible, and pathetic.
“I’m Too Sexy”: #1 20 Years Ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39YUXIKrOFk
20 years ago (yesterday) Right Said Fred’s single “I’m Too Sexy” reached #1 on the music charts.
I find it hard to believe that 20 years ago, I was a mere 19 year old young man, in college, with a great group of friends (who I still keep in contact with today via Facebook).
Back then, I was still firmly in the closet (holding on with a white-knuckled death grip), but I absolutely LOVED this video. For those who didn’t know it back then, my love of this video makes my sexuality pretty obvious now, huh?
I still love this song. And, hey, it still rings true today. Sometimes, we’re all too sexy for our shirts. 🙂
Here’s a pic of Right Said Fred from 2010. Some work looks like it’s been done, but they still look pretty darn good for almost 60 years of age!
(via Joemygod)
New Jersey State Legislature Passes Marriage Equality Bill
The New Jersey State Legislature just passed a bill in favor of marriage equality by a vote of 41-33, as reported by the Human Rights Campaign.
As I posted previous, the same bill passed the State Senate a few days ago, and Gov. Chris Christie still promises to veto the bill and call instead for a voter referendum. Voting on civil rights, something I posted about as well is just plain ridiculous and Christie knows it, especially when “54 percent of New Jersey voters support marriage equality, an upswing of nearly ten points in two years.”
If the governor knew what was good for his political future, he wouldn’t waste tax payer time and just sign the bill into law.