DanceTherapist Loc: NYC, now Oakland, Ca

This will not be popular among the predictable, and most
likely others will come out to nail me, execute me with
words, and, in general be vile.

THIS IS P***E MONTH

All of you mothers and fathers of LBGT children, anyone who stands up for Civil Rights for All, join me in celebrating P***e. All the straight people (who once may
have belonged to the "gay/straight" group in high school or college, please celebrate P***E and diversity.

Olden McGroen Loc: Texas

I'm no more celebrating Gay P***e month than I am Straight P***e month. I don't get behind "causes" with the word "p***e" in them. Fine if you do, but not my thing.

How about this? I celebrate life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...as long as it lasts and to wh**ever end it manifests itself under the law. I say live and let live. Freedom is my ethos. If it neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg, I'm fine with it. Morality issues are between you and God, not the government...and certainly none of my business. I can hardly cast any stones given my past t***sgressions. I can only ask forgiveness and try to do better going forward.

Have fun celebrating. I only wish you love, peace and good will.

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

I am all for celebrating diversity. Let us have diversity of thought in schools and promote heterosexual conservatives as teachers and principals. Let us make sure that 97% of the good people on all television shows and movies are heterosexuals. Let their be diversity in the printed word, in commencement speeches from high school and college, remove all rules against so called "h**e
speech" so that all have equal rights, heterosexual, homosexual, christian, Jew, Buddhist, and Muslim to speak their mind without worrying about anyone' too sensitive feelings. That kind of diversity must come first, not the forced diversity of requiring no one speak against sexual behavior that is not within the norm.

DanceTherapist Loc: NYC, now Oakland, Ca

Olden,

I liked your post quite a bit.
Life, liberty, pursuits of happiness, being a good person,
helping others, receiving help, giving, accepting gifts,
those intangible...

It's fine about not liking "P***e" - No propaganda has his own opinion, as I knew he would. But I will not reply to
him. He's not very open. Well, he's open, but in a (my
opinion, only) narrow way.

All is well. And nice to hear from you. I've not encountered you before.
Watching PBS Newshour right now. So, the Senate
hasn't passed the "Patriot Act"...glad. So, no huge
investigations with one warrant before a judge.

The FBI is always going to investigate terrorism, as
it ought. The FBI had intel before September 11, and it was shared with Arlington, VA., and no attention was
payed. Real Intel of an attack by air. And, voila!
War against Iraq. Knowing (well, I did) that Bin Laden
had nothing to do with Iraq. Rich Saudi. Lots of his
family live in the U.S., and are not terrorists.

Funny, at the time (ironic), that he looked so "holy" and was such a monster. I discussed that with a friend, once he became well known.
Bye.

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

By your comment I would have to think that the ONLY kind of diversity that you consider important is diversity of sexual desires. diversity of thought and including conservative beliefs doesn't seem to be of value to you at all. That says a great deal about your narrow view of what is important. To extrapolate that view to its logical conclusion, if someone has no sex drive at all, they are not to be included in your scheme of things as they have no value.Personally I prefer to have people who have a wide range of ideas and logical ways of understanding life, rather than just a wide variety of sexual positions. But to each his/her own.

DanceTherapist Loc: NYC, now Oakland, Ca

You couldn't be more wrong about what I have p***e in, and it's not "just" sexual diversity. I am engaged in
many activities, and have lots of different kinds of
friends...ha ha, including many, many straight people,
and libido has nothing to do with June and it being P***e
month for the LBGT community. I don't happen to be in
a relationship, and I'm thinking about "dating", and I
just can't bring myself to go to a dating site.

I met a good friend a couple years ago. We liked one
another quite a bit, but that was it.

So, I have the same issues as probably most everyone, including you. I'm insecure much of the
time. It has nothing to do with sexuality. I'm, like you, a combination of parts, the twists of my life.

I don't openly (unless asked) say that I'm a lesbian.

I'm a person to most people. It doesn't matter who I
might prefer to have close companionship with. It's,
like you, and every other person - I am just human.
and have lots of foibles. My kids and grandson accept me without thinking about my "sexual preference", as
does my daughter-in-law, and my daughter's husband
to be.

I am a human being. Why does one have to be "conservative" or anything else in order to be
accepted? We are all different and alike. I prefer to look for similarities. It makes me feel better. I don't
"h**e" anyone group. I would like to be a happy
person, and be around people who are more or less comfortable with who they are....no matter any
political beliefs, religious beliefs, etcetera.

DanceTherapist Loc: NYC, now Oakland, Ca

You couldn't be more wrong about what I have p***e in, and it's not "just" sexual diversity. I am engaged in
many activities, and have lots of different kinds of
friends...ha ha, including many, many straight people,
and libido has nothing to do with June and it being P***e
month for the LBGT community. I don't happen to be in
a relationship, and I'm thinking about "dating", and I
just can't bring myself to go to a dating site.

I met a good friend a couple years ago. We liked one
another quite a bit, but that was it.

So, I have the same issues as probably most everyone, including you. I'm insecure much of the
time. It has nothing to do with sexuality. I'm, like you, a combination of parts, the twists of my life.

I don't openly (unless asked) say that I'm a lesbian.

I'm a person to most people. It doesn't matter who I
might prefer to have close companionship with. It's,
like you, and every other person - I am just human.
and have lots of foibles. My kids and grandson accept me without thinking about my "sexual preference", as
does my daughter-in-law, and my daughter's husband
to be.

I am a human being. Why does one have to be "conservative" or anything else in order to be
accepted? We are all different and alike. I prefer to look for similarities. It makes me feel better. I don't
"h**e" anyone group. I would like to be a happy
person, and be around people who are more or less comfortable with who they are....no matter any
political beliefs, religious beliefs, etcetera.

DanceTherapist Loc: NYC, now Oakland, Ca

As I just wrote, you are incorrect about what is important to me. I respect all values. I don't have a
narrow view - I don't understand your comment about sex drive. My own drive is limited as I find lately. I

don't think about "a wide variety of sexual positions",
do you? What I was attempting to say was just a
statement about the month. It is also Alzheimer's
Prevention Month. And this is something that I've had
much to do with - I took care of my mother on a daily
basis. I shopped for food, made meals, ate with her, for years. I am at risk for this disease, and will have a
brain scan in July. Both of her first cousins died with
Alzheimer's, as did she, and their father, as well. My
brother is waiting for the results of my scan before he
enters a "clinical trial". We are both at high risk.

So that could be another topic. My mother didn't like
me, and that didn't matter. She was my mother, and
she needed help. I was very dev**ed to her for those
years. She actually became a much kinder person when she developed Alzheimer's, and fortunately, she
died before she went to the end-stage. In her sleep.
Just as she wished, and predicted.

So, no propaganda, can we have a truce of sorts. Have I told you enough about me that you may see me as
a person, different from you in ways, and human as you are? I hope so. Really, I do.

"Diversity of thought", your own comment. I do.

Olden McGroen Loc: Texas

======================================

Wow, you're all over the road. Don't take what "no propaganda" says too hard. "He's" merely reacting to what he perceives as another political agenda being shoved down his throat that he doesn't agree with. There are political factions attached to the LBGT movement that are less than scrupulous and operate like the mob. Not unlike the same type of factions that stir up racial animus in the black community (Al Sharpton, Cornel West, Malik Shabazz, etc.) His issue has to do with groups using political correctness as a cudgel to push through some agenda by force. For example: The L**T community is less than 5% of the population, but if you watch cable tv enough, you'd think their numbers were far greater than that. My daughter watches ABC Family all the time, and there's constantly a show on with L**T characters in them. Now, if you're raised up in the bible belt (as I am), and you subscribe to biblical principles (as I do), you might be a bit uncomfortable with the over-representation of L**T folks as it flies in the face of your biblical teachings. Christians don't h**e gays. Christians simply follow what God says about it. God doesn't h**e gays, but He definitely stated that it's a sin. Therefore, Christians adopt the "h**e the sin, not the sinner" philosophy. The L**T political faction stirs up their base by claiming that all Christians are "h**ers", thereby stirring up animus between the groups.

Now, we can debate whether L**Ts are born like that or they choose to be like that. I think it's sort of both. They were born with that proclivity AND have chosen to pursue that inclination. And, of course, L**T's beef with God would be, "Why did you make me like this if you don't want me to act on it?" Logical argument, but I don't argue with God.

As for me, and as I've stated, I say what you do with your life is your business...as long as you are accountable and responsible for your actions and you conduct yourself with dignity and decorum in public. This goes beyond any L**T issues. In all things. I'm a firm believer in minding my own...and I expect others to do the same with regards to theirs.

In short, every American should be able to pursue his/her interests as long as that pursuit doesn't infringe on the right's of others to do the same. And, as long as it's within the bounds of the law.

I think the rub is when the L**T folks have parades. It's like a stick in the eye to mainstream America. It appears to be less of a "celebration" and more of a "FU" to everyone else that doesn't accept it. At least, that's how it's perceived by Conservatives. Fact is, no matter how bad you want it to be, L**T is never going to be mainstream. The Liberal media/entertainment sector is doing their best to force it into becoming a "mainstream" acceptable norm, but it's never going to be "normal". It flies in the face of how God and nature works. People may accept it in their daily lives, but that doesn't make it normal. Nonetheless, I don't h**e anyone in the L**T community. They're no different to me than anyone else. I treat everyone with respect. There are no qualifiers. I'll treat you with respect until you un-earn it by being a douche. In fact, that's what I tell myself every morning as I'm looking in the mirror. I say, "Olden, try not to be a douche today". And that's all I can do.

I am a Christian. I am a Conservative Libertarian...or a Libertarian Conservative...maybe a Conservatarian, I don't know. All I know is, I don't like the government legislating morality at the federal level. I'm a firm believer in state's rights. Let the people put it to a v**e in that state and abide by what the people want. That gives the individual the flexibility to move to another state that aligns with their ideology. When the federal gov't is involved, it's a "one size fits all" solution to a more nuanced problem that should be dealt with at the state level.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.....

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

Diversity of thought would be very important but is not considered acceptable in the universities particularly when it comes to the humanities, where you will not be hired or end up being tenured unless you are a true left wing liberal. I find that unacceptable. You want the ability to select what people you do business with and want as your friends and so do I. I probably would consider you as a friend on a personal level if you can stop demanding that I honor validate and celebrate your sexual behavior and attraction, but just tolerate it, which to me is not a problem. We tolerated the sexual behavior of friends when we helped place their valuable dogs with suitable dog v
fanciers, taking hours on the phone and arranging t***sportation and responsibility for dogs worth thousands of dollars each because the two men had not been faithful in their "marriage" and had each had at least a hundred sexual partners at the same time, and were both dying of AIDS. We have dealt with other situations of this magnitude for homosexual friends and aquaintences over the years, even though we are appalled with their behavior. What most heterosexuals are fed up with is not being allowed to say in public that homosexual acts are sinful, and that homosexual marriages are a farce. We are fed up with public schools pressuring teachers and demanding that grade school children be forced to believe that same sex behavior is normal and wonderful. But we do not h**e you as an individual, why should we, we are all sinners . Some of us are trying to stop sinning and some are celebrating their sinful behavior and expecting us to do the same. That is the difference.

Incidentally SWMBO's mother had Alzheimer's and we did a lot of work with her and cared for her when she got really bad. My father also had Alzheimer's but that is another story, as I didn't become aware of it until after he died.