Gay Rights = Human Rights!

This is a comment I wrote in response to: Same-Sex Marriage: Hijacking the Civil Rights Legacy

The author seems to forget what the Civil Rights movement was realy about. In those days it wasn't popular to support blacks or inter-racial marriage. In fact you could get killed, or put in jail for inter-racial marriage.

The movement was not about slavery as you claim (slavery already abolished), but about racism and discrimination. If one had a come clean as a homosexual in the 1950's, one surely would have been killed or put in jail. If that isn't discrimination, I don't know what is. The fact is you can marry (and more importantly receive the associated rights) the person you love. I can't marry the person I love. That is the definition of inequality or discrimination.

Democracy didn't support taking away segregation or the ban on inter-racial marriage. In fact the majority were for the ban and segregation. It is not right of any majority to be a tyrant on the miniorty. That is why we are republic with a constitution, to protect the rigths and freedoms of all. The Pilgrims came to America because they were discriminated against as a religious miniority.

Please help Stop Hatred!

Entertianment Update!

We all know the controversy surrounding Whitney Houston. But what effect has it had on her career? I was in Barnes & Nobles last weekend. After my purchase of a CD, I was offered a free Whitney Houston single. I was a bit perplexed, but was then told that they had tried to sell this single for years (since its release in 2001) and hadn't managed to do so. They were know giving them away, and had been for over a week (to those that accepted one) but still had a few copies left!! The Single was also sadly a Charity Single designed to raise money in the aftermath of 9.11.

Speaking of controversies affecting your career: Janet Jackson has had less sales that she had hoped of her new album. You could probably point the finger to her Super Bowl stunt!!

Madonna is full on controversies, and this week has been extremely loud with her accusing the Media of causing the controversies in a special interview on Oprah. However, lest we forget, it was Madonna that lied about adopting in Malawi after government officials had leaked to the press she was adopting. Generally when you lie, you have something to hide!! Despite any good intentions she may have had, it is also important that the law be followed and the deal scrutinized - according to local charities and I agree! Madonna throughout her career has dealt or perhaps profiteered off controversies. Experts say that the cross stunt brought more attention and perhaps more attendees at the Confessions Tour. However, due to over a million emails, NBC will not be showing the cross stunt in their TV special of the tour.

In the long run, Controversies do not help any artist and they should be careful of what they do and say.

New Jersey must recognize same-sex unions!

In a closely watch legal battle, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled today that same-sex couples are entitled the same rights as heterosexuals. However, it left open to the legislature to pass either Civil Unions or Gay Marriage within 180 days.

"The issue is not about the transformation of the traditional definition of marriage, but about the unequal dispensation of benefits and privileges to one of two similarly situated classes of people," the court said in its 4-3 ruling.

Many had hoped that liberal court would have issues a ruling in complete favour of only same-sex marriage. The dissenting side stated that gay marriage was constitutional right disagree with allowing lawmakers to decide.

The case was brought seven couples, represented by Lambda Legal, who were refused marriage license in 2002. In 2004 New Jersey passed a Domestic Partnership Law that allowed some of the rights of marriage.

“To comply with the equal protection guarantee of Article I, Paragraph 1 of the New Jersey Constitution, the State must provide to committed same-sex couples, on equal terms, the full 65 rights and benefits enjoyed by heterosexual married couples," the ruling said.

"So help us God, New Jersey's LGBTI community and our millions of straight allies will settle for nothing less than 100% marriage equality," said Steven Goldstein, the chair of Garden State Equality.

Hope Wall

New Orleans

The biggest disaster in America wasn’t Pearl Harbour or September the 11th. It isn’t a terrorist boarding your next flight! Hurricane Katrina killed hundreds, displaced thousands. It was a failure, not of the earth but of America. Local, State, and Federal Governments were to blame for ignoring global warming, environmental issues, hurricane preparedness, and social issues. People that had little money, no transportation were left by the thousands to fend in disaster that would compare for days to Nazi Germany. Socialist solutions were ignored in a competition society, the poor ignored. It wasn’t an attack on our America that produced our worst disaster, it was a complete failure of our Government!

Last weekend, I visited New Orleans with my partner. Here is my story over a year on. As you drive into the city, you are awed by total destruction. There are miles upon miles of empty houses, apartments, and buildings. Windows are broken, roofs are gone, and streets are empty. The suburbs of New Orleans are a ghost town. As you enter New Orleans, you notice continue complete destruction in the downtown area, though elements of life are returning and the French Quarter & Canal Street seems alive amid the destruction. Hotels are reopening, businesses are repairing and a small amount of hope is there. Canal Street is busy with cars and people, but less than last time I was there.

We parked near Harrah’s, a casino, which has reopened. We enter a mall nearby and find that about 50% of the stores are open, though continue work is being done and we were walking on new tiles. Nearby on Peters Street, French Connection & Tower Records are open, though both have huge sales. I found the sales irresistible, and my purchases would help business in the city. Tower Records had a rare 1989 Kylie DVD, “On The Go: Live in Japan”, which was in Portuguese. There was a great collection of Kylie and Dannii singles from which I purchased a few. They seemed to have more singles than most other artists. It was great to see rare singles that I don’t find and are imports. DJ Sammy and Sophie Ellis-Bextor were among other singles I found.

After a quick salad, we entered Bourbon Street which is the main bar street in the French Quarter. It was completely open, and slightly busy. The Bourbon Pub, a gay bar, was completely packed for their Drag Show, and in fact was the busiest bar on the street. Across the street was OZ, another gay establishment, that played Dannii’s “I Begin To Wonder” and later Kylie’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” to me delight!

Overall, though parts of the trip were depressing it was nice to see people rebuilding and people coming out and supporting New Orleans. It was nice to see the Gay Community out in support, and knowing together we can rebuild New Orleans. However the Local, State, and Federal governments must now take into account the poor in America, as well as Environmental Issues. We cannot allow this to happen again.

So What?

So North Korea has Nuclear Weapons? I remember last week I said "This weekend, N. Korea will test a nuclear device!" Well, I think anyone could have guessed that...

Facts are the China, America, the UK, India, and Pakistan have nuclear weapons, and America has used them to kill thousands of innoncent Japanese in WW2, acts that surely today would be called War Crimes or 'Terrorist' acts. Yes, America claims it was the only way to get Japan to surrender, but the facts don't support the theory made up after people like me asked questions. The facts include documents where Japan was ready to surrender, and the bombs were more a scare tactic against the USSR.

America is throwing a double standard. North Korea wants the device as a diplomatic tool, and lastly as a security guarantee against Bush's fight against the axis of evil. Any nation would defend themselves any way they could... and North Korea has. I won't blame them for that!

Perhaps we should be more concerned about Iran which has expressed its desire to wipe Israel of the map... but let's go crazy about N. Korea! They are Nuclear, tough! America can't invade without millions of potention deaths, and sanctions won't accomplish anything! North Korea will still be there with Nuclear Weapons! Perhaps 1 on 1 talks that they have requested are a step foward, but Bush is too stupid!