No Judgement allowed.

Due to some discussion about race issues in my family, I am putting up our family credo touching on who we let into our circle.
Whites, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, Germans, Swedes, Scots, Irish…get the point?
My family is (proven blood only, there may be others) Scottish, Yugoslavian, English, German. My father was the second child born in this country after his mother fled Yugoslavia when WWII was brewing. Some of my family came here earlier, during the time of slavery and revolution. Who’s to say I don’t have African-American blood due to a slave owner raping one of his charges? I think a huge amount of white Americans would be shocked to find out they have black ancestors.
My family also welcomes gays, bisexual, lesbian and transgender people. If God didn’t want them, why would he make so many of them?
Last but not least, I embrace all beliefs and love learning and talking to people about theirs. I respect all and take a little of each one for myself. Catholics, Muslims, Baptists, agnostics, Wiccans and others.
I take you at face value. If you are a good person and do good things I am with you even if you perform customs or rituals I don’t understand, eat food I know nothing about, read a book I don’t know or dress a certain way. A good person is a good person. A bad person is a bad person no matter what their belief. You were welcome in my circle until you prove you don’t belong here.

Picture it & Write 7/13

Picture it & write it is a fun, flash fiction group that meets weekly. Read the stories or submit your own HERE.

2021 in the U.S.A. wasn’t pleasant. Special interest groups and big money had legislated the country into an unbearable stew pot of chaos.

Slang words, racially descriptive words, such as Caucasian or Latino were illegal. It was also illegal to possess soda, beer or liquor. A strict dress code was enforced and anyone caught frying food was jailed and subjected to rigorous dietary training. Persons caught smoking or using narcotics were put to death in public displays designed to set an example. Anyone caught in a relationship with a same-sex partner was castrated or mutilated in some way and sent to live in a desolate penal camp.

“Normal” couples wishing to have children underwent rigorous testing. Those  found lacking were denied. If they committed a crime, had arthritis, asthma or were otherwise deemed unsuitable, they were denied. If they couldn’t  maintain state health insurance they were denied. Abortion was illegal unless ordered by the state. If you were pregnant and didn’t pass state mandates, your pregnancy was terminated. Any child born with undetected illness was put down.

The obese were locked away until they reached normal levels. Once released they were re-checked,  if they regained weight they were terminated. Senior citizens were put down at the first sign of illness.

A new revolution formed, no muskets,  just the same desire for freedom. The first to fall were the insurance carriers who guided laws in the name of public health, while making millions. Next came the corrupt government. The movement could succeed, or they could die, but they had to try.

Marriage – Controversial Post

In many ways, life in the U.S. requires you to be two separate  people. One who lives by the laws of the land, and one who bases their  existence on their spiritual beliefs. Laws and beliefs rarely merge, not with the plethora of beliefs in the world.  Our current system of government will only work if we base law, on law, and human rights, not a religious book, there are simple too many of them with varying ideals.  All are different, giving different rights to different people.  Woman can be spiritual leaders in some, not in others. Women must cover their head or face in some, not in others. Some allow playing cards, dancing or drinking, others don’t. There is no way this country can be run by religious standards and please, or serve its blended population.  Our law makers need to remove the name tags from their lapels, the ones that denote their beliefs and base their votes on human rights and compassion. In the end, the fate of a person’s soul is in their hands, not the governments. If Christian, you won’t go to hell for allowing such marriages, you will be following your own scripture, you remember, the part about “thou shall not judge.”

Americans cling to the  basic rights in the constitution, such as free speech. Journalist are protected, so is the Klu Klux Klan who are allowed to rally and broadcast over radio and T.V. We hate what they stand for, but they have that right and our courts defend that right. They need to extend this same level of defense to the LGBT community.

The right to bear arms is also in the constitution, although I doubt that our ancestors anticipated automatic weapons with ammunition drums that could kill mass amounts of people if you are pissed. But! This right is in the constitution and the courts and government defend it!

This brings us to the “All are equal,” part of the constitution, this means ALL of us!  It is there in black and white, pen and ink, taught in history classes everywhere. You can be black, white, Asian, skinhead, Klan, gay, straight, poor, rich… all are equal in the eyes of the law. In my book this means that ALL people should have equal access to the same rights and benefits as their fellow citizens. All of us should not only reap the same benefits, but pay the same penalties if we break the law.

Equal is equal. If people of every religious conviction are allowed to marry, then LGBT’s should have the same right. Religious conservatives bang their fist, claiming it is a sin to be gay and marriage is not allowed. This takes us full circle, back to the “all are created equal” thing again. Under our constitution we are all equal, so if one set of perceived sinners is denied marriage, then all sinners should be denied marriage. If a Lesbian sinner isn’t allowed to wed, than neither should a murderer, thief, rapist, slob or over-eater. Sin is sin, either we make all marriages of anyone committing a sin null and void, or we  all marry! As I see if, if we base marriage on sin, none of us would have a valid marriage. Who hasn’t seen an attractive person and experienced a minute of lust? Or how many of us found five bucks on the street and kept it? Who hasn’t told a lie?

Does this seem ridiculous? It should, denying human rights on perceived sin would sink the whole lot of us. Think about it, stealing, gluttony, envy, lust, sloth…

Oh, I hear the gasp of those saying “My marriage is valid, my Bible/holy book says so.”  This is another right you get to have thanks to the constitution, freedom of religion! This is your belief, it forms your life, validates your marriage and makes your kids legit and accepted. I would fight for your right to keep this religion, but DO NOT force your ideals on me or use it to create laws that hurt those with differing beliefs. I don’t agree with a lot of religious doctrine, Muslim women hiding under layers of cloth, unable to drive or attend school. Catholic women treated like second class citizens, unable to preach, hold office or form policy. I don’t agree with a lot of them, and I don’t condone them, but I will fight to the end to maintain their right to practice these views without punishment. So, why can’t they show the gay community the same consideration. You don’t have to like it, or condone it, but you don’t have to reach out in hate and try to stop them.

You can do what you want within your own family. Impart your beliefs on your children, teach them your values, shun criminals, technology or gay people, what you can’t do, is force those views on the rest of the country.  I find it hard to believe that the god you stand behind would line up to throw stones at a person or make them feel like a lesser being for being who they are. I can’t help but think the deity you cling to would be shamed by hate mongering or denial of human rights. They would most likely extend a hand and try to help someone.

You can only take care of your own soul, other’s belong to their owners. Don’t try to pass moral laws to deny them human dignity and happiness. Remember that “do not judge” clause in the holy book? It is holier to reserve judgement and be kind to others. If they made a wrong turn they will face it on their own.

Take a look in the mirror, just who are the haters. I don’t see the LGBT community staging pickets to take away your rights, or make your marriage void, all they ask is that you live your life and let them live theirs. Maybe they should file a lawsuit, demanding that the government void the marriage of anyone who has ever stolen, abused, murdered, molested a child, lied, became a glutton, envied a neighbor or lived in a pig sty. Sinners! All of them sinners, sinners may not be married in this country.

Tell a man who cheated on his wife his marriage is void. That he has no rights to his children. Tell a a woman with food issues, who is overweight due to gluttony that she is not allowed to visit the man she loves in the hospital before he dies because her marriage isn’t valid and she has no say so over his health care. Watch a woman who stole once, out of desperation that she has to move out of the house she has shared with her mate for thirty years because she is not his legal mate due to her theft and has no right to the house.

This is what basing marriage rights on sin could mean. We have NO right to punish one group perceived as sinners while allowing those who cheat, murder, molest or steal, enjoy the “All are created equal” clause in the constitution. Change the constitution to deny marriage to all sinners in the eyes of the majority, or allow all who committed a sin equal rights.

We have to pick one path, the Constitution, or a holy book.  But what holy book? There are so many of them and choosing just one would throw this country into chaos. Cliche here… “Get the government out of our bedrooms.”  Stick to the written constitution and leave an individuals soul in their own hands. Either we all marry or none of us do.

Life is short, and all you really have is who you love, and who loves you. The government has no business telling us who that should be. Neither do my fellow citizens.

I know people will read this and want to see who penned it.  Some will shake their heads and claim it is the work of a militant, feminist Lesbian, ready to pass my words off as those of a nut. I don’t think who, or what I am is important, the ideal is important. I could be gay, bi or straight, none of these “labels” mar my ability to recognize right from wrong or basic rights from prejudice and hate.  Law is law and religion is religion, they will never mix, and shouldn’t. I want a government that tends to people rights whether it fits their personal belief system or not. You have the right to practice your beliefs, and adhere to them in your life and that of your family, and I will fight for that right! What you don’t have, is the right to impose those beliefs on the rest of us.

I know that passing a law will not stop the haters but it is a move in the right direction. If we give our kids a good example they will learn as will the generations behind us.

Jane Kohler 2013