In fact, I’m upset because her being in jail allowed her deputies to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Sounds crazy, I know; but let me explain.

You see, had she been a free woman free to exercise her brand of liberty, on the contrary, there’d be no marriage licenses issued. Which is a good thing because I would find the  most flaming gay black man to be my fiance. Then, me and my homo lover would’ve driven to the Rowan County, Kentucky courthouse to get married.

And, of course, once we’re denied a marriage license I would sue Kim Davis, Rowan County, and the state of Kentucky. Bad idea? Oh well, freedom ain’t free; besides, it’s the American way.

Yes, this may be opportunistic; but in my house, after dealing with three surgeries within the last year, let’s just say that a Brotha needs the money (donate here).

Call me whatever you like, but I call such a lawsuit freedom; and to the point, fighting discrimination while securing that whole “Separation of Church and State” thingy.

Not to mention, the concept of everyone being afforded “equal protection under the law” as it appears in the Fourteenth Amendment of the aforementioned legal framework of America. But don’t tell this to Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz who planned to visit Kim Davis while she was nailed to a cross in a jail cell. Yep, martyrdom just ain’t the same anymore.

People like Huckabee, Cruz, and the many supporters of hiding behind the Bible to discriminate pretty much like Kim Davis has, pretend to give a fuck about “religious freedom” but they don’t. They argue that they are being oppressed, but it’s not happening. And this is why it’s convenient for them to liken Kim Davis to Rosa Parks.

In 1963, we should not have honored SCOTUS decision to creat a wall of separation between prayer & school. Kim Davis for Rosa Parks Award.

— Steve King (@SteveKingIA) September 5, 2015

Kentucky County Clerk @Kimdavis917 is a modern day Rosa Parks, a hero! #KimDavis #ReligiousLiberty #KentuckyClerk pic.twitter.com/UQKh4qiVbL

— Jesse Lee Peterson (@JLPtalk) September 4, 2015

I probably shouldn’t have to explain to you why comparing Kim Davis to civil rights icon Rosa Parks is ridiculous. I shouldn’t have to tell you that Rosa Parks took a seat on a bus in Alabama to fight the discrimination of black people in public accommodation across the south. Kim Davis, in contrast, took a stand in defiance of a federal court to essentially be able to continue discriminating against same-sex couples. I don’t know about you, but they’re so not the same thing.

Kim Davis is no civil rights hero, folks. In fact, her actions are more in line with the segregationist gAlabama governor Bull Conner, than that of Rosa Parks. Like the driver of the bus, Kim Davis refused to drive his route because Rosa Parks refused to move to the back at the bus. I don’t know whether the bus driver’s refused to drive because of his religious belief. But, I do know that whatever his belief, his action was racist; and, there’s no bust for him on Capitol Hill.

Though Kim Davis has garnered significant support from Republican presidential hopefuls, it’s important to note that they are not all in her corner. As far as the temperature of national support, a recent Rassmussen poll shows that 26% of eligible voters are supportive of Kim Davis.

A federal judge has sent a Kentucky county clerk to jail for refusing to issue wedding licenses to gay couples despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in late June upholding the legality of same-sex marriage. The clerk insists that gay marriage violates her Christian beliefs.

 

But just 26% of Likely U.S. Voters think an elected official should be able to a ignore a federal court ruling that he or she disagrees with for religious reasons. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 66% think the official should carry out the law as the federal court has interpreted it. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

What’s scary about this, is that even a panel on Fox News believes that Kim Davis is dead wrong; and, that her attorney is “ridiculously stupid.” Watch the video below.

Fuck you, and fuck yo’ conscience, Kim Davis!

As the Bible says, “Render unto Caesar what is his.”

Do your damn job, or resign.

Yes, I know it’s hard to walk away from a job that pays $80,000 a year in podunk Rowan County, Kentucky. However, should Kim Davis continue to defy the federal court order, Kim Davis will become a financial liability for taxpayers with a flood of lawsuits. And all for what? Essentially for the sole purpose of discrimination.

For the people supporting Kim Davis speaking out against her incarceration: Hey, the law is the law. Elected officials like Kim Davis are obligated to follow the law.

The last time I checked, in this country, we’re not bound by law to subscribe to a belief in any higher power. However, per our laws enshrined in the US Constitution, this Kim Davis doesn’t have a leg to stand on legally, even if she takes it to the Supreme Court

The post Kim Davis Isn’t Rosa Parks, You’re Stupid To Think So appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Once I got a hold of this information, I did what I regularly did: I wrote about it.

Remember this article? Sure you do.

In a decisive paragraph in the beginning, I noted the potential issues that could occur:

Many thought it had to do with birth control. While birth control was one of the bigger issues, it should be noted that many of us missed the bigger picture. This court case was nothing but a singular blow to the wall of societal sanctity through the use of religion. This singular case had the potential to unleash ready havoc on people’s jobs because their “differences” don’t match up with the organization’s “religious values”. In short, this wasn’t about birth control; this decision was about oppression through religious exemption. [2]

This is the man bold enough to be…well, stupid.

Now, that potential has come full circle into fruition thanks to Indiana, Gov. Mike Pence, and SB 101:

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed into law on Thursday a measure that allows businesses to turn away gay and lesbian customers in the name of “religious freedom.”

The bill has sparked an uproar among gamers and church groups that hold their conventions in Indianapolis and businesses that are threatening to pull out of the city. [3]

And yes, we have the Hobby Lobby case to thank for it. And yes, it is sad that I predicted all of this foolishness 9 months ago.

SB 101 – What It All Means

For those that don’t understand what the bill is saying legally, then I can give an explanation. In fact, I will let the Indiana General Assembly give their “interpretation” of it:

Religious freedom restoration. Prohibits a governmental entity from substantially burdening a person’s exercise of religion, even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, unless the governmental entity can demonstrate that the burden: (1) is in furtherance of acompelling governmental interest; and (2) is the least restrictive means of furthering the compelling governmental interest. Provides a procedure for remedying a violation. Specifies that the religious freedom law applies to the implementation or application of a law regardless of whether the state or any other governmental entity or official is a party to a proceeding implementing or applying the law. Prohibits an applicant, employee, or former employee from pursuing certain causes of action against a private employer. [4]

In laymen’s terms, this bill allows any business to not deal with any customer/person due to their religious beliefs. The only way there can be legal recourse is if the decision is anti-government. Also, any entity can have rules that the government don’t agree with. Plus, any worker that has an issue with it can professionally “kick rocks”.

So yes, my good people, we have found out that some people want Indiana to go back to the 1950’s.

SB 101 – The Problems Have Arisen

One of the issues that Indiana has to face is the reaction to the SB 101 Bill. For one thing,Gen Con plans on moving their convention if Pence signed the bill. Since he signed the bill, I expect Gen Con to give Indiana their walking papers. Then, there is the issue the NCAAhas with the bill as well. Since the headlining band The Bleachers has a lead singer that is pro-gay marriage, this presents an economic problem for Indiana as a whole.

Another problem is this: by Pence’s ignorance, Indiana is going to be scarred for a while. Their entire reputation has practically taken a major blow. Who would want to visit/live in a state that is working hard to go backwards towards the 1950’s and 1960’s? Do people like Pence want to see a bunch of civil rights marches and demonstrations that we should have been done with those decades past? Are people stupid enough to allow for a bill that legalizes discrimination under the guise of “religious freedom”?

Think about it: people don’t want to worry about not being able to buy a burger because of their race, sexual orientation, or even their belief system.

If Indiana still wants to be stupid enough to allow this, then I have some glaring words to say to them:

Fuck Gov. Mike Pence.

Fuck anybody in Indiana that believes in SB 101 as a bill.

Fuck anybody that agrees with the bill as a whole.

Now, as Indiana struggles with a bill that should not have seen the light of day, I am going to go sip on my tea. That way, when I walk through the aisles of Hobby Lobby (to buy nothing), I can still say “I tried to tell you about this” to all the naysayers from months before.

The post SB 101: How Indiana Turned Back the Clock on the Gays appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Sure, we can easily say that it was for the sake of “spreading his gospel”. Of course, we can say that he is “a man of God”. Creflo Dollar, and any other prosperity preacher, should actually “roll in style without being hampered by situations of commonality”. If it is God’s will, then it should be for anyone (including Creflo Dollar) to have whatever is available in the world. If it was meant to be, then it will be.

However, that isn’t what happened. Creflo asked people (not God) to bless him with a private plane through funding.

Creflo Dollar and the Mass Exodus from Christianity?

What is becoming apparent is that more and more people are claiming to not follow any type of religion. According to Huffington Post, this number has grown over decades:

A new survey shows in stark relief that what some are calling the Great Decline of religion in America continues: Since 2012, the U.S. has about 7.5 million more Americans who are no longer active in religion.

Last week, the 2014 General Social Survey was released. The GSS is the gold standard for sociological surveys. Funded by the National Science Foundation, this multimillion-dollar study gives us the most accurate data on American society — including religion.

(An important point to remember as you see the data: Each percentage point increase represents a growth of 2.5 million adults. So a 3-point rise in secularity, for example, means that about 7.5 million people left religion since 2012.) [1]

Among these findings from this “gold standard survey” are these noticeable numbers:

The 2014 GSS showed that “nones” are 23 percent of the population, up 3 points from 2012. Catholics are at 24 percent. [2]

Over a third of Americans (35 percent) do not go to church, which is a new high. [3]

The percentage who never pray is also up from 14 percent to 17 percent. [4]

Creflo Dollar and the Problem with Religion

It is becoming more and more evident that plenty of people are not claiming religion like they used to. A lot of times, there are issues with how they treat certain people (gays in particular). Other times, people are just tired of how religious conservatives act. There are always a myriad of reasons for religious exodus. Those reasons are making it easier for people to leave religion alone.

Then, we have issues like the one Creflo Dollar presented: a lack of focus on what really matters.

Creflo Dollar is supposed to be a “man of the cloth”. And a “man of the cloth” is supposed to be a man of the people. Yet, here we are talking about how he wanted to raise money for a personal plane and not raising this money to actually benefit society in any form or fashion.

We have to understand that the church is a cornerstone of American society. The church is supposed to be a safe haven for those in need. It also serves as a community focus center that works to improve the surrounding area.  Preachers are people put upon a pedestal of piety and reclamation of self. The church, in itself, is built for the benefit of humanity.

When religion began to benefit the preacher and not the community, then there is a problem.

Creflo Dollar’s issue is that he isn’t a preacher; he is a pimp. Your preacher cannot honestly ask for $65 million dollars for an airplane without at least a side eye gaze. Nick Chiles (of Atlanta Black Star) even pointed out numerous ways this money could have benefited the community. Yet, the best Creflo Dollar could come up with was something so selfish and vanity filled as an airplane for the sake of spreading his gospel? It can’t be that hard out here for a pimp who has that much audacity.

Creflo Dollar did have the site taken down. So, I guess I was wrong: pimping really ain’t easy.

The post Creflo Dollar and Losing Our Religion appeared first on Madness & Reality.

The name Jezebel is the English transliteration from the Hebrew Bible of the wife of the Israelite King Ahab who married a non-Israelite woman.  The second story that includes Jezebel is of her taking a vineyard that her husband wanted from a local farmer.  She does it because he’s too impotent to do so for himself.  Jezebel gets such high recognition in the Hebrew Bible because the story of the well-respected prophet Elijah is intertwined as well.  She’s a baal worshipper–meaning she worships and follows other gods first.  In fact she was Phoenician according to most sources, and therefore did not subscribe to the tribal deity of the Israelites who was thought to be Jehovah, whom the Israelites referred to as Yahweh (YHWH).  Elijah runs up directly against her, and the omniscient narrative paints Jezebel as evil for two reasons: because she doesn’t worship Yahweh (a reference to the initial story found in 1 Kings 18)  and because she usurped her husband’s authority (1 Kings 21).  She’s murdered by her own court and then her corpse gets eaten by dogs, as if there was any question about whether or not she was to be seen as good or evil.

Somehow by the end of the Christian New Testament in the Holy Bible, Jezebel certainly has assumed some sexual characteristics being referred to as teaching or encouraging prostitution.  This sexualized image of Jezebel entered into Christian culture and has been a part of it for quite some time.  To be called “Jezebel” is automatically understood as having a negative sexual connotation.

Within the storied history of race relations and black culture in this country, Jezebel carried an even heavier burden in antiquity.  There was a Jezebel stereotype that existed that allowed for black women to be seen as overtly sexual and promiscuous beings.  It operated to the benefits of white racism, Jim Crow laws and supported the system of de facto segregation because it directly disempowered black women from having agency over their own bodies, let alone legal recourse in the face of rape and sexual assault at the hands of white men.  It allowed white men to sexually abuse black women because as a Jezebel, they were “always asking for it.”  The Jezebel stereotype was among the handful of archetypes that white dominant cultural thought helped create and perpetuate that are now seen as racist stereotypes (among others were Mammy and Sapphire for black women; Sambo and  Mandingo for black men).

Cookie Lyons challenges all these cultural images and ancient philosophical theologies.

Many have asserted that the likes of Mary Jane from BET’s “Being Mary Jane” and Olivia Pope from ABC’s “Scandal” and Annalise Keating from “How to Get Away with Murder” will be dominant images of the black woman for a new generation juxtaposed to Clair Huxtable, Vivian Banks or even Florida Evans to name a few.  Certainly, with an hour long drama, the audience has a different way to engage the dimensions of these 21st century women that the platform that a cookie-cutter sit-com provided for most of their predecessors, I think it bears mentioning that Cookie Lyon deserves a place on that stage.

If nothing else, Cookie stands in a ghetto-istic defiance of the brokenness portrayed by Annalise, Olivia and Mary Jane respectively.  Granted, this is the result of Lee Daniels who operates in stereotypes like a artisan in paint, but Cookie doesn’t exactly don the tragic “strong black woman” motif to do so either.  Cookie does what Queen Jezebel does in the Hebrew Bible: takes on the role of power.  Jezebel sets in motion the governmental power-play that establishes theological rule for all the land.  She holds all the cards in her hand and has no problem stepping in when her husband doesn’t do the job.  She is the HNIC in the northern empire of Israel.  Cookie is also the head of her “Empire” as well.

Aside from the fact that I have generally liked Taraji P. Henson’s acting ever since “Baby Boy,” I think she is doing a great job of letting Cookie be her own trailblazer.  Most of us aren’t watching the show and saying that Cookie reminds us of any other actor or role that is etched in our minds like that of black matriarchs of the past.  But Cookie actually falls in that line, she’s the mother of three grown boys all of which have their numerous issues and distinct challenges.  What makes Cookie different, what allows her to be a 21st century Jezebel is that she doesn’t embrace her brokenness.

Mary Jane and Olivia hold to some of the same models of black respectability that Cookie clearly doesn’t.  I think it would be hard to imagine either of them walking into a board meeting revealing a bustier and garter straps only to turn around, slap their own butt and walk out the door.  Even more than Cookie’s prison stint, she also doesn’t fit the respectably image of a cosmopolitan black woman who’s not afraid to trysomething new.  That is to say, knowing Lee Daniels, I doubt we’ll see Cookie having a non-black romantic interest.

I would argue that the images of Mary Jane, Olivia and certainly Annalise are that which embrace the brokenness.  Mary Jane is so broken she actually was freezing sperm unbeknownst to her male partner and Olivia is so broken, for a strong majority of the show she was caught between “jam in Vermont” and “sun on the beach.”  And finally aided by the help of Cicely Tyson, we see just how and why Annalise is broken.  Perhaps it is unfair since the show hasn’t been on for long, but it is clear the ways in which Mary Jane, Olivia and Annalise have been broken and broken by not just the men in their lives, but also by their parents.  Cookie defies that to the point of actually doing a long bid for the man in her life–and she comes back more powerful than ever.

The stories of Mary Jane, Olivia and Annalise (or is it Anna Mae), are real stories and they shouldn’t be relegated to the margins in favor of Cookie’s, but at the same time Cookie’s shouldn’t either.  The story of the former women seem to be about those that embrace and attempt to live up to the notion of being a “strong black woman” and all the problems that that can entail.  While those three women occupy seats of power, ultimately their stories are stories of strength and how to be strong in their personal lives.  But not Cookie, hers is a story of power not just power when it comes to her “empire” but also exerting and naming power in her own life–the power to determine her own destiny.

Cookie stands as an interesting counter-narrative.  I think Cookie is a lot more accessible in ways that the other aren’t.  She’s common, and not in a bad way.  She doesn’t have the formal training.  She doesn’t at all engage in the respectability politics in public that the others do.  While we may have a family member or two who are Mary Jane, we all have a few cousins who are Cookie.  She bypasses all of the approved and acceptable ways to assume power, and does so in her own style and dares someone to challenge her.  And her assistant Porsha acts as the Id to her SuperEgo solidifying her place of resisting some of the norms.

The counter-narrative of power also embraces the fact that she is a mother.  Mary Jane, Olivia and Annalise are all without kids.  It bears noting that even still there are slivers in which dominant cultures tell women that they are not fully woman unless they give birth, there’s also a strain of thought that says if women choose to have children they need to stay at home to raise them and not try and mount a career.  Granted Cookie was in jail almost ALL of Hakeem’s life and some of those dynamics aren’t at play here, Cookie has been portrayed as having a mother’s heart–like when she rescued Jamal from the grips of an abusive Lucious putting him in a garbage can as a young child.

Cookie is Queen Jezebel, and for all the right reasons.  The 19th century archetype of Jezebel doesn’t have nearly the same traction it once did, and is seen as a negative stereotype now, but because the the 6th century BCE royalty, Cookie embodies a new kind of Jezebel archetype.  One that has power not just in public places, but more importantly, in their personal life.  As often as we can point out about the public ways in which black bodies and black Selves operate, I can’t help but wonder are we so vigorous in applying that same strictness to our personal lives.  Achieving personal wholeness is something that can’t be understated.  Each progressive episode with Mary Jane, Olivia and Annalise uncover more and more ways in which these women aren’t whole and how they operate very much from their hurt places.  Cookie, at least up until this point, seems to be aware of the hurt, but she has chosen to take agency of it in very different ways than her other prime time prima donnas.  This doesn’t mean Cookie isn’t hurt, or isn’t operating from a hurt place either–that’s clear between her relationship with her youngest and how broken Hakeem is as well–but her ability to have power of herself in these situations is what makes the difference; taking agency means having power over your Self.

Frankly, I like the story of Queen Jezebel in the Hebrew Bible.  I like it because it’s an in media res story of an underdog named Elijah who faces a eucatastrophe on Mt. Carmel, but moreso that Jezebel functions as a false antagonist; she is a subversive anti-hero.  The writers of the Hebrew Bible had one main objective: to tell the story that there was on only one deity and that was Yahweh.  Jezebel was nothing more than a convenient nemesis in telling that story, and they were able to display the cultural norms of patriarchy; it was a veritable two-birds with one stone as far as reinforcing cultural and theological beliefs of the day.  However, to not see Jezebel operating as a form of political and social resistance (hence the reason the story has her killed so viciously by dogs) is to miss a major part of the story.  But it’s a counter-narrative story.  Just as easily as people can read the story of it through the eyes of Elijah, that telling truth in the name of God can get you hunted down by the powers-that-be, it also a story of how being a woman usurping power in a patriarchal society can literally get you killed.

For me, the story of “Empire” doesn’t attempt to show what it means to be a black woman with the same intentionality of “Being Mary Jane,” or in the same way that conversations surrounding “Scandal” and “How to Get Away With Murder” have been appropriated.  And that’s some of the beauty of Cookie’s character.  She just is.  “Empire” is not about the power dynamic between the genders, and I doubt the creators and writers would highlight it as a central theme to the show if ever interviewed.  In fact, there is no agenda.   And the relationships with Cookie’s sister and to her children all seem real enough to most people.  Jezebel was married to a king in a divided empire, and Cookie is fighting for her piece of an “empire” divided as well, and that seems believable.  Well, believable enough for prime time, and I guess that’s all that matters in the end.  At the end of the day, all of these shows are out for ratings, and boy do we make sure they get them.

[Originally posted here]

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Their primary targets are other Muslims. ISIS is killing Muslims in Iraq and Syria. Boko Haram is killing Muslims in Nigeria. Both groups kidnap, enslave, rape and massacre innocent civilians. That is not Islam and they are not real Muslims. That is evil and they are devils. They do not belong in the modern world.

Islam represents enlightenment and guidance, not darkness and ignorance. We cannot allow anyone to commit such sick and demented atrocities in the name of God and Islam. They must be challenged, condemned and ultimately destroyed.

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On earlier this month, terrorists killed 12 people at the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo, a weekly satirical magazine, in Paris, France. In response to that heinous crime, the world has united to condemn those criminals and terrorism, as do I. Hundreds of thousands of people marched in the streets of Paris, including dignitaries from all over the world.

On earlier this month, terrorists killed 12 people at the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo, a weekly satirical magazine, in Paris, France. In response to that heinous crime, the world has united to condemn those criminals and terrorism, as do I. Hundreds of thousands of people marched in the streets of Paris, including dignitaries from all over the world.

In spirit, I marched with them. As a blogger and a civil rights attorney, I support the right to free speech. All people should be able to write and speak freely without having to fear being arrested or killed.

However, I must part company with the demonstrators when they proclaim that they are Charlie Hebdo. I am NOT Charlie Hebdo. Charlie Hebdo is a racist, bigoted, Islamophobic, and hateful magazine. Charlie Hebdo regularly mocks and ridicules Islam, Muslims, Christians, Jews and black people.

As noted in the New Yorker magazine,

The magazine depicted the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost in a sexual threesome. Illustrations such as this have been cited as evidence of Charlie Hebdo’s willingness to offend everyone. But in recent years the magazine has gone specifically for racist and Islamophobic provocations, and its numerous anti-Islam images have been inventively perverse, featuring hook-nosed Arabs, bullet-ridden Korans, variations on the theme of sodomy, and mockery of the victims of a massacre…

Blacks have hardly had it easier in Charlie Hebdo: one of the magazine’s cartoons depicts the Minister of Justice Christiane Taubira, who is of Guianese origin, as a monkey (naturally, the defense is that a violently racist image was being used to satirize racism); another portrays Obama with the black-Sambo imagery familiar from Jim Crow-era illustrations.

Again, I am not Charlie Hebdo. To hell with Charlie Hebdo. Instead of being celebrated and exalted, that despicable publication belongs next to Nazi, Confederate and minstrel memorabilia in a museum somewhere.

Also, to hell with the terrorists for brutality and inhumanity. To hell with terrorists for making that racist publication even more popular. As stated on CNN Money, Charlie Hebdo normally sells 60,000 copies at week. Following the terrorists attack, the magazine sold millions of copies.  That recent issue defiantly mocks the Prophet.  To hell with the terrorists for doing more to defame Islam and Muslim, through their senseless violence, than Charlie Hebdo ever could. To hell with the terrorists for giving France and other countries an excuse to tramp on our civil liberties.

As France champions Charlie Hebdo’s right to free speech, she tramples on others’ right to free speech. As Glenn Greenwald reported on the Intercept:

Since that glorious “free speech” march, France has reportedly opened 54 criminal cases for “condoning terrorism.” AP reported this morning that “France ordered prosecutors around the country to crack down on hate speech, anti-Semitism and glorifying terrorism.”

As pernicious as this arrest and related “crackdown” on some speech obviously is, it provides a critical value: namely, it underscores the utter scam that was this week’s celebration of free speech in the west. The day before the Charlie Hebdo attack, I coincidentally documented the multiple cases in the west – including in the U.S. – where Muslims have been prosecuted and even imprisoned for their political speech. Vanishingly few of this week’s bold free expression mavens have ever uttered a peep of protest about any of those cases – either before the Charlie Hebdo attack or since. That’s because “free speech,” in the hands of many westerners, actually means: it is vital that the ideas I like be protected, and the right to offend groups I dislike be cherished; anything else is fair game.

So, to hell with France too, for her hypocrisy.

Originally posted at New Possibilities

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Or, like the following story where an 8-year-old girl was forced to be withdrawn from a ‘Christian School’ because she didn’t follow the schools “biblical standards,” by looking and acting like a boy? You know, like most Tomboys do? I’m only asking because it’s not like they were invented last week.

Timberlake, VA – Sports, sneakers, and short hair; it’s what makes eight year old Sunnie Kahle unique. It’s also what had her removed from Timberlake Christian School. Her grandparents pulled the plug on her time there after they said she was no longer welcome.

 

The family received a letter telling them that if their eight year old granddaughter didn’t follow the school’s “biblical standards,” that she’d be refused enrollment next year. She’s out and in public school now.

Sunnie Kahle has short hair and a huge heart, and as far as her grandparents are concerned, she is a completely normal little girl.

 

“She cries every morning to get on the bus, she cries when she comes home because she wants to go back to Timberlake Christian with her friends,” said Doris Thompson.

Sunnie Kahle

Doris and Carroll Thompson are Sunnie’s grandparents. They adopted and raised the little girl and took her out of Timberlake Christian School when they received a letter from the school’s K-8 Principal.

 

“You’re probably aware that Timberlake Christian School is a religious, Bible believing institution providing education in a distinctly Christian environment,” read Doris from a part of the letter.

 

The letter goes on to say that students have been confused about whether Sunnie is a boy or girl and specifies that administrators can refuse enrollment for condoning sexual immorality, practicing a homosexual lifestyle or alternative gender identity.

 

The letter goes on to reference specific Bible verses that affirm these beliefs.

 

The letter reads in part, “We believe that unless Sunnie as well as her family clearly understand that God has made her female and her dress and behavior need to follow suit with her God-ordained identity, that TCS is not the best place for her future education.”

 

[…] An administrator from Timberlake Christian, said the problem with Sunnie goes “far beyond her hair length” and that the little girl is a good student, but that “things disturbed the classroom environment.”

 

[…] School administrators said they have not accused Sunnie of being anything or anyone and simply asked that her family follow the guidelines they set forth for all students. The Thompsons say they have no desire to re-enroll Sunnie at Timberlake Christian.

Of course they haven’t accused the child of being gay. But I’d be damned if that’s not what these religious nut jobs are implying. Yep, evidently it’s against sky daddy’s rule to have a gayish-looking kid enrolled in your Christian school. Yeah, I think it’s written in Leviticus — yeah, right next to the part where it says that shell-fish is an abomination to God. Yep, and who needs a lesbian in training on the playground of a Christian school with “normal” kids when the fire and brimstone falls from the sky as punishment, right? But hey, we must protect religious freedom n’ shit.

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This must happen. I mean it truly is our religious freedoms at stake here. If they want to play this game – and it’s looking more and more obvious every day that they are – then we need to fight back and give them some of their own medicine.

In Arizona, the state that gave us the most corrupt Sheriff in the history of our nation, Joe Arpaio, as well as rednecks that patrol the border, and 125 degree heat on a daily basis in the summer, the hatchet faced Governor Jan Brewer ( I will never forgive Janet Napolitano for inflicting her on us) is deciding whether to veto a sick anti-gay bill that was just passed by the legislature. A bill that says based on “religious freedom” you can discriminate against someone who is gay or lesbian. You are gay so..NO SOUP FOR YOU! Now, she will probably be forced to veto it because so many people are outraged about it and have called and e-mailed her saying they will never set foot in her state again or that they will take their business elsewhere if she signs the bill.

It really doesn’t matter. The damage is done, In 2014 the Republican legislature of Arizona passed this bill. Period. If not for all of the pressure Brewer would sign it. And the trend has been set. There are similar bills floating around in other backwards states. Backwards is a good word because as other nations are moving forward, America is heading backwards into the dark ages. Mostly because of religion. That cancer that invades our country. We can scream about the separation of church and state all we want, they do not care. The Constitution means nothing to them. Never has.

Now there is a lowlife GOP lobbyist who wants to ban gays from playing in the NFL. Jack Burkman, says he has support for a bill that would do just that. I wonder who supports him? Democrats? I think not. Now just like the Arizona law this most likely won’t go anywhere but believe me, many Republicans wish it would. Burkman, who we know jerks off to those images he claims are disgusting (straight men showering next to a gay man) is a truly vile individual.  ”Imagine your son being forced to shower with a gay man,” Berkman said. You mean the son that compares his penis size to the guy showering next him? The son that whips his friend’s naked ass with a towel in the locker room? You talking about THAT son Jackie boy?

One wonders where a smug piece of shit like Burkman has been living? What dark, moist hole has he recently crawled out of?

But maybe I get too upset. I mean it’s par for the course with these Republicans..the religious right. They really do want to go back in time. They want to go back to when women couldn’t vote, when blacks were slaves, when gays were deep inside the closet. These are their ultimate fuck fantasies. As the rest of the world (and parts of this country, mostly up north) advance and evolve, they want to fight that with every fiber of their being. That is why we are seeing these bills pop up now.

So I say let’s practice our religious freedom. We must discriminate against Republicans. Make them feel the hurt they are inflicting on others. Then we can truly move forward without them.

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This rhetoric is used over and over, from one generation to another. Although it holds many sides to it, ultimately for me it provides the ability for the overseer to filter down a conflict (often a very complex issue) into the simplistic ‘good vs evil’ dialogue for the masses. The overseer then just paints the ‘bad’ as they go along. It is the people at the end of the day they have to sway!

Whether the individual (or administration in charge) actually believe it is their ‘moral’ duty to start acts of war is questionable, but it is exactly this undertone of ‘God wishes for us to do this’ and the ‘higher’ moral stance that is used to sway the masses.

Take for instance the language used by George Bush in 2003 (one of the many men to use such a appeal regularly) when he told graduates “We are in a conflict between good and evil. And America will call evil by its name”. Or when he told an audience “freedom is not America’s gift to the world, its the almighty God’s gift to all humanity.” The constant use of this rhetoric at the time played a significant role as it persuaded the audience that 1) what we are doing is morally right 2) ‘good morals’ are never to be questioned 3) provided the masses with an basic picture that there is only ‘good’ and ‘bad’ at play here and nothing more complex then this. Ofcourse this turned out to be wrong in many cases…

This approach driven for social justice, freedom and which every democratic words which comes to mind (I use the terms loosely) is rooted in religious ideals and faith is very complex yet a persuasive one. Think for a moment of your religion or faith and you will instantly realise that it is very personal and sensitive to you. It truly is in my case directly linked to my emotional reserves. What this approach is able to do is directly initiate dialogue with my reserves of emotional capacity and therefore be able to sway our judgment.

History provides a variety of examples for how this approach has been used by whoever wishes to use it for whichever motive, transcending the left or right paradigm. There is always a calling from ‘higher power’!

Even take Hitler in 1923 for instance, Hitler himself did in part use this rhetoric to ascent through the political ranks and gain popular support. Not that there are similarities between these men. In 1923 he declared that ‘it matters not whether these weapons of ours are humane: if they gain us our freedom, they are justified before our conscience and before our God’. The language being used is firstly quite clearly dangerous due to its direct nature. More importantly the association being made between God and inherent rights, such as freedom is exactly the tipping point where the association with the individual using this approach goes from mere respect to the kind of pedestal treatment with Hitler received, as the protector of race, land and power.

Now what’s interesting is that in 1961 The Milgram experiments were being carried out to research how far people can be pushed by an authoritative figure (inspired by the trial of Adolph Eichmann).

The experiment in general noted down the submissive actions of subjects due a variety of reasons such as the physical presence of authority or the ability to pass on responsibility to another individual. However I personally feel that maybe the God and morality approach should have been anaylsed more?

Of course such acts have been taken under the name of God, Greek deities, various religions etc and I’m not one to preach but surely if there exist a God or a higher being surely it must think ‘why is my name being dragged through this every time?’ For wherever there is a bullet in the modern day there is an also the abuse God and morality sadly.

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This from Fox 32:

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (FOX 32 News) – A north suburban high school student was pulled from classes on Halloween after dressing like Jesus.

According to Angenetta Frison, mother of Highland Park High senior Marshon Sanders, some teachers found his costume offensive. Her son was readmitted to school after changing out of the costume, she said.

Sanders’ costume included a long, white robe, red sash, head scarf and a cross necklace.

Marshon Sanders

“I wanted to be Jesus because I just got baptized and so I felt like, why not?” Marshon says of his costume choice. “He’s the most influential person in my life.”

He says 15 minutes into his first class he was called to the dean’s office.

“She tells me that, um, my costume was offensive and I was promoting religion, which I wasn’t at all,” he explains.

Shortly before school let out for the day, the high school released a statement, stating that: “We initially were concerned that the costume could be offensive to religious sensibilities. Upon further review, we realized the student did not intend to be offensive.”

Sanders was told he could put the costume back on.

But Frison, who met with school administrators along with her son to discuss the matter, said he chose not to do so.

“They realized they might have been premature and didn’t really assess the situation,” said Frison, who wondered if the image of a black Jesus evoked strong feelings.

“Race is an issue in our country,” she said. “We still struggle with racism. I don’t know if that was a factor, but it may have been. Would a Caucasian student dressed as Jesus have had the same effect?”

My thoughts? I’m sorry, but I understand the unwillingness of this kid’s mother to throw down a race card in the wake of this incident. But hey, that’s what this blog is for. That’s right, mom; allow me to say what you really wanted to say. If the kid had painted his face white his costume would’ve been acceptable. I mean, everybody knows that melanin “Jesus” is a problem here in America.

Heck, just ask Kanye West.

Kanye is now embracing the Confederate flag — you know, America’s preeminent symbol of defiance and hate? — but even he knows that melanin Jesus is a problem. How? Kanye hasn’t forgotten the backlash to the Rolling Stone magazine cover that depicted him as Jesus on the cross several years ago. Yep, and recently while on tour, Kanye had sense enough to have “White Jesus” walk across the stage as a hologram instead of, you know, a not-so-welcomed “Black Jesus”, Yeezus, or whatever Mr. Kardashian calls himself these days. Like this kid, Kanye is from Chicago but he’s not that crazy. And trust me, Kanye is rather strange; but again, that fool ain’t crazy.

All jokes aside, folks. What they did was a serious infraction per the U.S. Constitution. Forget about me and my race card for a minute. What they did was to infringe on this kid’s freedom of religious expression. In case you didn’t know, the constitution affords you that protection. But hey, in a country where a New York appellate court ruled today that it was kind of okay for now, for the NYPD to use “its “stop-and-frisk policy” which violates the rights of minorities. What else can we expect from our school system when it comes to a black kid choosing to look like Jesus for a day. But like my friends said on Facebook: The poor kid should have turned a bottle of water into wine, taken a swig, and walked out of the classroom screaming, “Sexual chocolate!”.

God Bless America!

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