Reminded of this today...

Church laws are fallible, because they are created by man! Think on that for a bit....

Need to step away from the political issues for a while

I've seriously can't keep up with them any more! There is just so much bullshit going on! Voter suppression, Kavanaugh, the fact the US will not denounce the murder of a US resident journalist because of money, etc. Seriously...all I can say at this point is that we all must get out and VOTE in the next couple of weeks! We need to VOTE to being back sanity and decorum to this country!

I'm going to start trying to take my blog back to things that interest me rather than discussing politics. There may be a post here and there...and I'm not going to delete anything, because it is all very much relevant and needs to be out there for someone to read. For my own sanity...I just need to move on to happier things!

If Conservatives really boycotted all companies that went against their values...

If the Conservative right were as passionate about all of their beliefs as they try to make us believe they are about "not kneeling for the flag", wouldn't they be in a world of hurt!! Out of curiosity, I looked up companies that are in support of or who have given money to Planned Parenthood, and companies who urged the support for gay marriage before it was legalized in the US. Man...how these lists were extensive...so I will describe to you life of the Conservative who stands firmly on their beliefs...as they so claim!

First of all, I don't know why we are even seeing these folks commenting on our social media feeds, as both Facebook and Twitter were on the list for supporting gay marriage. Oh, and so were Apple and Microsoft...meaning that, unless these folks are using Linux or Unix, they shouldn't be on a computer at all. I guess that means Conservatives need to give up their iPhones, too. Oh, but they cannot use any devices that contain an Intel chip, either.

Next, it may be difficult for these folks to get their prescriptions, as CVS, Walgreens, Rite-aid, and Wal-Mart were on both lists. Of course, that is after they change their insurance to some low, cut-rate policy because also on these lists were insurance companies such as Aetna, Cigna, State Farm, GEICO, USAA, and Prudential. There may be others on there, but these are the ones who stuck out.

Clothing shopping is also about to get way more difficult! Wal-Mart and Target are out of the question, as well as Gap (which also is the parent company for Old Navy and Banana Republic), Victoria's Secret, Nordstrom, Abercombi, Calvin Klein, Marshalls, Ralph Lauren, T.J. Maxx, Levis, Bebe, Amazon, oh and the list goes on and on!

There are several banks they also cannot do business with...like Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and JP Morgan Chase...just to name of the few big ones on the list.

Hope Conservatives don't plan on traveling. It may be difficult with American Airlines, Delta, Jet Blue, and United on at least one of these lists, as well as several hotels under Marriott, Wyndham, and Hilton also showing up on one or both lists.

Of course, BOTH Pepsi Co and Walt Disney are on at least one of these two lists, and that opens a whole can of worms, seeing as those two companies alone own about half the world (or at least it seems). And so many food items...General Mills...can't even drown their sorrows in Ben and Jerry's!

I mean, everyone has the right to boycott who they wish. There are a couple of companies I boycott for my own reasons, and it is usually something very specific. However, you would never see me burning my stuff...I would donate it or consign it (at least try to get some money back to buy a replacement of a different brand or something else). Even I understand that if I boycotted every company that didn't align 100% with my ideals and beliefs, I might as well live alone on an island...growing my own food, building my own shelter, and walking around naked...as no company aligns 100% with what I believe.

These SAME people will pay 10% blindly to a church!

In one of my many, many online arguments today, someone brought up an interesting fact. Most of the Right is made of church-going Christians...church-goers who have NO PROBLEM handing over 10%...or more...of their income every month to their church, without having any clue where the money is really going! This especially includes mega-churches such as Joel Osteen's in Houston, or Bethel Church in Redding, California, where chances are likely that these "tithes" are going to pay for the pastors' mansions or private planes!

However, when it comes to paying any portion of their "hard earned money" to help make sure people have access to their healthcare they need in this country...oh hell no!!! They don't want their tax dollars going to a national healthcare system. They don't what to pay just a little more on their insurance premiums to make sure EVERYONE who needs access to things such as maternity care has it. Oh, and many of these same people don't think they should have to pay school taxes when they pay tuition to send their kids to private schools, or have no children in school at all!

The very people who scream the loudest against "socialism" are the very people who freely hand money over to some church just so they can get a "feel good" message every Sunday morning! The very same people who claim to believe in a book that states they should help take care of the poor, needy, sick, elderly, orphaned, etc. Talk about some HYPOCRISY!

An interesting observation...

Last autumn, wildfires ripped through Sonoma and Napa counties in Northern California. These fires destroyed homes, businesses, vinyards.

Not a peep from most Christians about prayer for this area.

Around the same time, wildfires ripped through parts of Southern California. These fires and the Northern California fires combined saw 43 fatalities.

Again, not a peep from most Christians about prayer.

Last week, wildfires in Greece claim 91 lives, and causes devastating destruction.

Most Christians...silence!

This week, wildfires rage in and around Redding, California...home to Bethel Church. This church is a megachurch that many non-denominational churches are following for doctrine, practices, etc. They pay license fees to play songs in their own churches that Bethel holds the copywrites to.

From Christians? "Pray for Redding!!! Pray for California!!!"

Why is it they only pray when it is for their own? Weren't those affected by the wine country fires worthy, or not, because they produce an alcoholic product. What about Southern California? Or is there just too much sin in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas to be concerned with. What about Greece? Surely, the Greeks deserve prayer, right?

No, when the megachurch they all idolize is in danger of wildfires, only then is prayer justified!

The President cannot pardon himself, but here is how he can be indicted!

The Constitution prevents the President of the United States from pardoning himself. He cannot use his power to prevent his impeachment or removal. Now, some will argue that the Judicial Branch cannot indict a sitting President. This is true, however...

The Judicial Branch and/or House Judiciary Committee can order a special council to investigate suspected hinky business committed by the sitting President. Once this special council is ready to submit their findings to the House Judiciary Committee, they will then do so. The Committee can then determine if the findings are enough to bring up Articles of Impeachment to the House floor for a vote.

If Articles are deemed warranted, they are then voted on by the House. If the House votes to impeach, the matter is then sent to the Senate.

The Senate then serves as judge and jury. They determine in the impeachment holds water (just like a normal court will hear charges and determine if an indictment holds water). If they find they do, they can then vote to remove the President from office.

At this point, the President is no longer the sitting President, and...depending on what they were removed for...could then potentially be indicted on any and all crimes he was found to have committed that caused his impeachment!! And thus...no longer having their pardon power...they cannot pardon themselves from any convictions after the fact, either!

Now, some may ask about these cases that courts have determined can be heard that are not related to the ongoing special council investigation. Well, these cases involve civil actions...and no one is immune from a civil action. Keep in mind that the President can only be in office for so long. Most statutes of limitations only affect how long a person has to make a filing on a wrong done to them. The court, however, can continue the case as long as needed. Civil cases do not fall under the same rules as criminal cases, where the court must hear and try a case in a certain amount of time as protection of the rights of the accused...mostly because many of these folks are held until trail. You cannot hold a person in jail indefinitely for an accused crime without making a conviction. Civil judgements are a completely different ball game!

What about bullying?

There has been yet another school shooting today, in Indiana this time, committed by a teenager. Since Santa Fe, Texas last week, there has been a lot of talk again about how bullying may have played into it...that one of the girls killed had turned the kid down twice, and then embarrassed him in class when he persisted. I'm about certain, in this Indiana case, bullying is going to come up again.

So, let's talk about this bullying aspect to the 4 shooters in 15 days that have been teenagers!

Bullying has been going on for decades! I'm 45, and I can still remember being bullied in school, as I'm sure most of us can remember being bullied at some point in school. If you weren't bullied, chances are you were the one doing the bullying. Stealing lunch money, giving wedgies...there are many forms of bullying that have happened over the years. Bullying has been the focus of so many storylines in movies and such...some serious, some funny. I remember watching Revenge of the Nerds, and routing for those "nerds" because I could relate to them!

At first, I was picked on to the point of going home crying for my acne. It started at a young age for me, and it was pretty bad. Can't recall how many times I heard the term "pizza face". I would go home and cry...begging my mom to help me by taking me to a doctor, or allowing me to at least wear some sort of foundation makeup to try to cover it up. She wouldn't take me to a dermatologist. Instead, I heard over and over that acne was just a part of growing up! Mom also stood firm to her "no makeup until you are 15" rule...so no relief for me their, either.

On top of that, I was always what I call...well...quirky. I was attracted to computers at an early age, and I was just good at them. I was always a "bit of a nerd" you could say...having made all A's in all my years of grade school. But I also found myself in a place where I was very different! I ended up going to school in small town Texas. Back then, that meant that this very small population was mostly "country"...Roper boots, jeans, etc. And then there was me...punk rock/new wave, granny boots instead of cowboy boots, skinny pants instead of Wrangler jeans, all black some days, crazy neon colors the next, earrings never matched...listening to Duran Duran, The Cure, Siouxsie Sioux, and a host of other MTV 120 Minute favorites, while the rest of the school listened to George Strait, Reba McIntyer, Randy Travis, and the likes. I was the odd-ball, and it was made known to me!

We had a group in school that to this day I affectionately call "The Misfits". We were the kids who really didn't fit in. We were the one-offs that in some larger school somewhere else, we may have found a group of kids just like us...but not here where a grade averaged 50 students or less. We had everyone. The girl who had a terrible scar on her chest that looked like you could just lace her up, because that is what they had to do when she was younger, they had to go in to work on her heart so many times. The guy that everyone was certain was gay, but no one knew for sure. They guy who was years older than us...because he had failed grades too many times (who did end up being the "diva" I know and love still to this day). While everyone was in their cliques in the morning gossiping about the world, you could find us on the floor in a hallway somewhere playing Uno! We were called names. We were pushed around. Sometimes one of us got beat up.

Now, I can't speak for the others, but NOT ONCE did I ever consider walking into the school and shooting it up! I watched horror movies with as much blood and gore as you could imagine! My punk rock music wasn't the "nicest" thing to listen to, for sure! Lots of screaming about anarchy and the likes. My favorite show was Miami Vice, which every week they were in to drugs, and shooting up stuff, and fights, etc. We didn't have the same video games...I was no stranger to Centipede. But even still, I never even considered shooting up a school. Spreading a rumor as revenge, maybe...but never shooting up the place!

So, what has changed from the 1980's until now? Okay...so video games may have gotten more realistic...possibly desensitizing kids to violence. But for decades, kids' behavior has been blamed on media of some sort, and we have not seen terror like we are seeing today. You can't blame it on abortions, either. Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973. Before that, women were getting back alley abortions, using coat hangers, etc. to get rid of unwanted pregnancy. We had the "Free Love" era of the 60's along women burning their bras. I'm certain there were plenty of abortions back then. Still, you didn't see people, or kids, trying to shoot up a school every week.  Even just a few decade or a few years ago...this wasn't as common an occurrence as it is NOW!

What has changed?! Try the climate of America! While bullying used to be something you mainly saw in the school yards, and grown folk mostly acted like grown folk, that isn't the case any longer! Sure, there were the shouts of racial slurs on the streets, or in the work place. There were environments that felt hostile. However, most people could go to their homes, and that was their safe place. It isn't that way any longer!!! We have elected officials bullying the media, various people groups, etc. on TV and social media every day!! Every day there is another list of hurtful statements said about a people. Then, have this media outlet spewing hate about one side, and the other media outlet spewing hate about he other.....hate hate hate hate hate! Everywhere...hate!

To add fire, the skin of society has gotten thinner, in general. There are many legit complaints out there, but when you have a political commentator on national TV complaining about getting water thrown on her, because of her past hateful comments on air. When you have a kid who can't simply walk away from a girl who won't go out with him, and has to pester her to the point of being embarrassed in front of a whole class, and later coming to school with a gun killing her and several others. You have a President getting butt hurt over something the New York Times or CNN said about him, or about some football players kneeling to protest police brutality and unequal treatment of people of color...turning to social media for days with rants, when we all know he has better things to do! This same President then turns around and calls impoverished countries shitholes, undocumented immigrants rapists, and a variety of other hateful comments.

Yes, bullying may be at play here, but it is because as a country, we are all bombarded by it every day! It is the new social norm!!! You can't even have an intellectual debate on social media any longer without the name calling starting. Say you support BLM or gun reform...out comes the "libtard" comments. You want to know where these kids are getting all this hate and violence from? It isn't the media. It isn't video games. It is the very people who are raising them!

My response to GOP gun control talking points

Saw this article today, and it left me with some thoughts:

6 GOP talking points that show why the gun control debate isn't changing anytime soon

1. Violent Video Games

How many times have we heard media blamed for society's behavior. Rock and roll music, rap music, violent movies and television shows, violent video games, etc. Hell, they have even burned books they deemed damaging to accepted ideals of society! I've played and I play plenty violent video games. I listen to rock music...rap not so much. I love horror, thriller, and action movies. Yet, I have no desire to go shoot up a school or a concert! When someone pisses me off, I don't wish death upon them. If anything, I'll "door slam" the person if I deem them to toxic to my life (i.e., cutting them off...no communication or communicating with only when necessary).

At the same time, I raised two kids, who watch the same type of movies, listened to the same type of music, and played the same type of video games. Oh, and I also spanked them! Neither one of them grew up to be violent people!


2. Abortion

You know the Conservatives are going to throw abortion in there somehow!! Though, I can agree that fatherless homes are a contributing factor, but abortion? You know what will help us see decreases in both abortions and fatherless homes? A decrease in unwanted pregnancies. You know the best way to limit unwanted pregnancies? Nope, it's not preaching abstinance! It is providing free or low cost birth control to any woman who wants it! This has been proven in other countries, you know. It's not rocket science! The cost to provide birth control will be much cheaper than it costs now for SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, etc. for children born into poverty situations, which in many cases are women where the father split during pregnancy and they are trying to make ends meet with a kid on their own!


3. Irresponsible Gun Owners

Okay...on this point, I can agree. The last 3 shootings involved teens who somehow got their hands on their parents', or another family member's, guns. We need to start holding these parents and such accountable for not properly securing their guns. Trigger locks are not that expensive. Lock boxes, locking cabinets, gun safes...we need to start holding people accountable who's guns are used in crimes, because they did not have them properly secured!


4. Not Enough Armed Teachers

Are you kidding me with this? How about not enough campus police?! Why do we have to put more responsibility on teachers than they already have for their crappy pay? We need to quit cutting budgets when it comes to campus security! We protect money and valuables with more security than we protect our children. There are two guards to a small armored truck, but many school campuses in this country are LUCKY to have ONE armed resource officer! There are even more campuses who don't even have any dedicated resource officers!


5. Too Many School Entrances

On this one, I can somewhat agree. We do need to limit the number of entrances to schools. Campuses should be closed, meaning that even parents aren't allowed to wander around looking for their child. The problem isn't "number of doors", as codes require a certain number of exits for emergency purposes. However, said exits can be one-way...meaning no outside hardware, open from the inside only, and it would be smart to even have cameras in place at the exits so that a...wait for it...security officer possibly watching the cameras could identify someone trying to break into these doors. Will it cost money? Yes....but isn't the cost worth protecting our children? As I've already pointed out, we protect our money and valuables better than we do our children. Even a bank may have many emergency exits, but only one entrance!


6. Decline of Religion in Schools

Now, this one, I call total BULLSHIT! Look at the world. Religion seems to cause more violence than peace! These kids don't need Jesus! These kids need discipline...PERIOD! Parents aren't allowed to parent, and many don't even want to parent. What happened to the days when kids would get a good butt tanning for being disrespectful to their parents or lying? Oh, yeah...Dr. Spock and the whole crew of "anti-spanking" people! Let me tell you, I was no stranger to a butt tanning, and I'm not violent! If anything, it caused a condition called RESPECT FOR OTHERS. When my kids were younger (they are 23 and 27 now), I can recall picking them up from school. A few times, I recall seeing children (yes, children...not teens...this was elementary school) screaming and cussing at their parents...yelling things like, "What are you going to do about it? Nothing...that's right nothing, because I'll call CPS!" We are in a time where too many kids are running the show at home instead of the parents! I recall something I heard my mom say when I was growing up...and she was talking to others about parenting. She talked about how she could take me over to someone's house, and I wouldn't mess with anything. I would sit and play with my toys quietly, and people were amazed. My mom pointed out that she never put anything up. If I reached for something I shouldn't, I would get a little smack on my hand...that the way she saw it, I came into HER world, and she wasn't going to rearrange it for me...I had to learn how to live in it. I raised my kids in a similar fashion...I kept my eyes on them and paid attention to what they were doing, and if they were doing or touching something they shouldn't, they were corrected. My things were MY THINGS, and I didn't just hand my things over to shut them up or keep them occupied (can't tell you how many times I see kids scream for a parent's cell phone, and the parent hands it over to just shut them up). I wasn't raised with religion...we didn't go to church when I was growing up. One thing is for certain, though...I was raised! Even with my parents divorced, they stood united, and what rules existed in one house existed in the other. I was taught respect, manners, and things like it was not appropriate to hit or hurt another person just because I didn't agree with them or didn't like them! Decline of religion? How about decline of PARENTING?! When you are in the age of free-range parenting, buying kids whatever and not making them earn things, "talking" to kids when they do wrong instead of laying down some hard consequences, etc., it is no wonder we have the problems we have now!


It goes on to quote: "It's not about the guns," Patrick said on ABC on Sunday. "It's about us."

Yes, and no. See, in this country right now, we have a gun obsession! Less than 1/3 of Americans own guns, but there are more privately owned guns in our population than there are people! To be accurate, the number of privately owned guns works out to 1.5 guns per person, if everyone owned a gun!  Yes, it may be a "people problem", but with guns so easily accessible, it is so easy for someone who wants to do evil things to get their hands on one. Hell, all the 3 teens in the last couple of weeks had to do was walk into their parents' bedroom and grab it out of the drawer or cabinet, it seems. We have everything from single shot, lower powered rifles to 30 round magazine, high powered rifles. It's a simple rule that even economics uses...the higher the supply, the easier to acquire! And, manufacturers crank more and more out every day! Add all the rhetoric the NRA pumps out, and you have a recipe for disaster!

Also, to note....if you pay attention to the loudest supporters of the 2nd Amendment, it appears most "responsible gun owners" are CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVES! Kind of blows that "decline of religion" argument. Seems the most religious are the ones buying the most guns and screaming about their rights to own as many and of whatever kind they want...because, you know...that evil government may come out to get you one day. All those guns are going to be really effective against tanks, biological weapons, drones, missiles, etc.

Just so much wrong...

Today's school shooting highlights so many issues in our country right now.

First of all...not going to rehash my positions on gun reform...but 3 school shooting incidents in 8 days is a problem, people!! Here we have at least another 9 children and a teacher dead...more to add to the toll. How many more of these before Congress wakes up and tells the NRA to stuff it, and pass some legislation with reasonable measures to help bring an end to these tragedies?!

Second...how are these kids getting these fucking guns?! I was just reading this morning that the gun the 19-year-old used in Dixon, Illinois (where thankfully no one but the shooter was injured) belonged to his mother. It was a 9mm semi-auto that she purchased in 2012. Now, when these "kids" get guns from their parents to do these terrible things, why are the parents not being held responsible, as well. Okay, sure...the Dixon shooter technically was not a kid, but the mother obviously did not have the gun properly secured if he got hold of it and used it in this shooting! Trigger locks start as low as $10, folks, and renders a gun unusable unless the lock can be broken. With all the talk about "not taking rights away from RESPONSIBLE gun owners", how is it being a responsible gun owner if you do not have your weapon properly secured when not in use?

And finally....and it is a matter of time before this one comes up again...at least two of the shooters in the last 8 days were white. The 3rd (Palmdale shooter) is unknown, as they are not releasing many details due to him being a minor. Important thing to note...all three shooters are in custody! This has been brought up before, especially with the Parkland shooter (who was white). So, you are white, and you just shoot up a school (or at least attempt to), but you are taken into custody alive. However, a black man holding a cell phone in his own yard after being suspected of breaking into cars is killed rather than taken into custody?! A black man pulled over for a traffic violation is killed, rather than taken into custody? A black man selling CDs in front of a store is killed, rather than being taken into custody? Am I the only one who sees the crazy in this?

So, it's been at least a few weeks...

...since we have had a shooting to hit the headlines, so I guess we were due, right?

Here is the irony in this past weekend's shooting...it just blew the pro-gun folks' stance of "it takes someone with a gun to stop someone with a gun" right out of the water! To make the issue sting even more (though I hate bringing race into this), a white mentally deranged man was disarmed by an unarmed black man! But seriously...the shooter was stopped by someone without a gun! Imagine that!

Now, when you get to the background of this situation, one cannot help but shake their head and wonder what certain parties were thinking. This shooter back in May 2016 had a delusion that singer Taylor Swift was stalking him. At that time, family members were concerned about the fact that this guy owned several guns and appeared to be a bit unstable. Then, in August 2017, he is arrested for trespassing when he compromised a security barrier at the White House. The charges were dropped after he had completed his community service. However, after completing said service, authorities moved to seize his guns and owner's ID after an interview with him where they became concerned.

Here is where it gets sketchy! At some point after, said guns are turned over to this guy's dad. We don't know what happened after that...only that the gun found at the scene at the Waffle House was in fact one of those previously seized guns, indicating that dad apparently gave the weapons back to this mentally unstable person, who now didn't hold a valid gun license/ID!

What this situation has done is uncovered another major hole! In my opinion, when these guns were seized once the person was deemed a risk, they should have been sent to be destroyed...not returned into the population, and surely not turned over to anyone close to the shooter where they could have easily returned to his possession. I want to know how it was even cleared for the dad to have the guns...under what circumstances was THAT decision made!

I do have to really grab hold of this fact, though, that the shooter was disarmed by an unarmed man. I don't care what race he was...he proved that you don't need a gun to stop a person with a gun! That is big!