Phelps' Fine. . .

I have to say that I was rather happy to hear that Fred Phelps' Church, here was fined $11million for protesting at a military funeral. The policy of Phelps' church regarding war is that essentially "the reason we (America) loses so many wars is because we allow gays to participate in the military."

Shrug.

Let's see. . .

where to begin. . .

Perhaps the reason we lose so many wars is because we participate in too many wars at the same time, over estimate our military strength and underestimate the strength of our 'enemies'? Maybe the reason we lose so many wars is because our military is under the control of our idiot president, Dubya? Maybe the reason so many Americans die in wars is because we hire private mercenaries, like Blackwater, to work toward war and away from peace?

Ugh!

What does war have to do with gaydom anyway?!?!

Now, one thing that really infuriates me with organized religion is the fact that the people who participate usually (a broad generalization, I know; and if it includes you, I'm sorry) believe the simplest stories to understand the most complicated of situations. Whether it's gayness being the cause of military casualties, or God blinking waving his hand to create the universe; the simple stories are only created to make you feel better about where you've come from, why life is the way it is, and comfort you on your journey forward. But, my question is, do we need it? Well, I know that I don't.

I also think that religion in general takes away from the appreciation we all should have for nature and life. With organized religious institutions like that created by Phelps, you put your faith and appreciation into one imaginary being and really, IGNORE the world around you. If Phelps' followers were less interested in following the desires of an imaginary Old Testament God and were more appreciative of life and took a stand for Peace, there wouldn't be wars!

Damn.

Now, back to the funeral issue. Yes, they protested at funerals. Yes, they should have to pay the price (just like all activists). Though I believe in free speech and will support it to my dying day, I still think these people shouldn't have protested at a military funeral. Phelps' church must realize the difference between Liberty and License. Simple. Just because you can doesn't mean you should!!!

Show respect for the dead, even if the dead did not show respect for life. . .

Mmmhmmm. . .

Though I do not support the troops, I do not support people who don't respect life, though I don't support any person (gay, straight, male, female, black, white, brown, yellow, transgendered) who continues our worlds' legacy of war; I still think we must respect the dead. Always!

Oh, I have the perfect song for this!

Universal Soldier
By: Buffy Sainte-Marie

He's five foot-two, and he's six feet-four,
He fights with missiles and with spears.
He's all of thirty-one, and he's only seventeen,
Been a soldier for a thousand years.

He'a a Catholic, a Hindu, an Atheist, a Jain,
A Buddhist and a Baptist and a Jew.
And he knows he shouldn't kill,
And he knows he always will,
Kill you for me my friend and me for you.

And he's fighting for Canada,
He's fighting for France,
He's fighting for the USA,
And he's fighting for the Russians,
And he's fighting for Japan,
And he thinks we'll put an end to war this way.

And he's fighting for Democracy,
He's fighting for the Reds,
He says it's for the peace of all.
He's the one who must decide,
Who's to live and who's to die,
And he never sees the writing on the wall.

But without him,How would Hitler
have condemned him at Dachau?
Without him Caesar would have stood alone,
He's the one who gives his body
As a weapon of the war,
And without him all this killing can't go on.

He's the Universal Soldier and he really is to blame,
His orders come from far away no more,
They come from here and there and you and me,
And brothers can't you see,
This is not the way we put the end to war.

Can I get an A-men?

Soldiers stop fighting- Drop your guns. Soldiers, you perpetuate these wars!

Respect life and honor the dead!