Where I’ve Been & November 6th in Maine

Marriage Equality USA logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As I have received no mail, it seems apparent no one is concerned where I disappeared to–kidding, just kidding.  To give it to ya quick and dirty, since 11/2/2011 I have suffered a series of strokes and related head problems, which combined with my attempts to complete school and be an active part of my family’s life have left me with little time to blog.  They have no idea what is causing the strokes, aside from the general term of stress (which I have given up on my dreams of school to alleviate one form of stress), however after much testing and poking and prodding stress is all they can tell me.  I have no deficits from these episodes, aside from constant headaches and what I term “wooziness”, yes a nice scientific term there.
Moving on–November 6th in Maine.  Some will ask why I am not focusing on the entirety of Election Day, well honestly, I know who is going to win the Presidential Election and I have more interest in the issue of Same Sex Marriage in Maine which is being voted on today (an idea I  find stupid and ludicrous, but there you have it.)  It will be interesting to see the results of Question 1 as it has been a hot topic since the last time it came up for vote in 20009, except this time there seems to be more in favor of it.  Perhaps Mainers are in fact waking up to the fact of the 21st century, who woulda guessed it?

 

 

At any rate, let us all hope, in our own ways, the elections turn out for the betterment of not just the country, but ALL the people of this country.

My Birthday Wish

As anyone who reads my blog will know I am a big supporter of marriage equality. I normally do not do the “Cause Wishes” that get sent out around my birthday but with the ballot issue coming up in Maine this November and all the other states dealing with the issue I figured this would be a good time. So, the link below is to my wish, donate if you can, share either way. It would be nice to raise some money for this very important issue.

 

My Birthday Wish

Related articles

• Marriage Equality For Maine (inactiveactivist.wordpress.com)
• Battle Going On Over Wording Of Maine Marriage Equality Question (lezgetreal.com)
• Supporters of Maine Marriage Equality Seek Change in Ballot Measure Language: VIDEO (towleroad.com)
• Strong Support For Maine Marriage Referendum (lezgetreal.com)
• Maine Activists Debate Language Of Marriage Equality Ballot Question (thinkprogress.org)
• POLL: Majority In Washington Supports Marriage Equality Law (thinkprogress.org)
• Can ‘true Catholics’ support same-sex marriage? (religion.blogs.cnn.com)
• A Father’s Love for His Gay Son and for the Catholic Church (newwaysministryblog.wordpress.com)
• POLL: Majority Of Maine Voters Support Marriage Equality Law (thinkprogress.org)

An Understanding of the State of Maine

Many people have misconceptions about the state of Maine; ranging from inbreeding to illiteracy to a concept that we are all the poor white trash of the USA.  I am not a native to Maine, I was born in raised in NH; however, I have lived here long enough to have an understanding of what is going on in this state and the many issues which play into the hard times we face as a state.  Maine is indeed a beautiful state, a choice spot for many people to come on vacation due to the amazing amount of ocean beaches we have and the historic locations within the state.  However, we also have a floundering economy that is very dependent on tourist income and with high gas prices this is becoming an issue as well.

First, I want to talk some basic geography about Maine, some things that people either do not realize or do not take fully into account when thinking about Maine and its problems–this applies both to residents and people from outside of the state as well.  The important thing to realize about the state of Maine is we are bordered by only one other state–this is a unique situation in relation to the rest of the lower 48 states and does create issues for people to come to the state as there is only one “path” into the state via roadways.  If you are from the USA, think about the state you live in, picture it on a map, and really look at how many different ways people have of getting into your state, aside from airplanes of course–this will help in realizing the unique situation that Maine is presented with.

So, here we have a very basic map of Maine, however it will serve to illustrate my previous point and the point I want to address now.  As you can see, in reference to my prior point we do border only one other state, and only a small portion of the state is in fact on the border.  Which brings me to my next point, there are actually several different “unofficial” Maines within the one state.  If you look to the southern part of the map you will see Portland, one of our largest and most popular cities.  Everything from Portland south is one part of Maine, most populated by the tourists and at times referred to as Northern Massachusetts.  The next section, up for some minor debate on specific borderlines, ranges from Portland to Augusta or Waterville, depending on your point of view.  It really is not all that much of a discrepancy as the distance from Augusta to Waterville is minimal.  Augusta is the capital of the state and that whole stretch contains the majority of the non-tourists businesses and the “working class” population of the state.  Now, Bar Harbor is a spot all on it’s own, along with that whole coastal region.  Mostly home to the rich or properties owned by tourists who summer there.  From Waterville to Bangor is rather hard to explain.  Bangor is another large city similar to Waterville and Augusta, but nowhere near comparison to Portland.  That whole stretch has a lot of rural areas and homes, however most of the people are working class folks, the so called 1% I guess you could say.

Now we come to the interesting part, and the least known aspect of Maine.  As you can see easily from the map I have covered approximately 1/3 of the state of Maine, well the reality is that is mostly all people know about it, or in the case of most residents do not realize there is anything north of Bangor.  The fact is 2/3 of the state is North of Bangor, however, there is next to nothing there.  Zip-zero-zilch.  Sure, there are potato farms, some logging companies and such, but for the most part the towns up there are refereed to by numbers…  which is rather sad.  It is this 2/3 of the state which creates such a drain on the economy of Maine as the people are residents, however employment is few and far between in that region and the people rely heavily on state assistance (this is not a bad thing I am declaring, just a simple fact.)  This is a huge part of the state that we are ignoring and should be developing instead of overpopulating the areas that are already established with businesses.

I have visited many states and have never encountered a situation where such a large portion of the state is flat out ignored.  In fact, I think the only comparison I can think of would be Alaska, however, that is an entirely different situation.  I would really love to see this states politicians propose ideas to bring businesses into the Northern part of our state.  The only reason I have continually voted no on the casino issues is because they should be put into the areas that need developing and not into cities/towns that already have businesses running there employing people.  Sure, it’s a bit of a travel to get there, but so what?  If we could develop that 2/3 of Maine, it would help boost the economy of this state in a huge way.

However, after all these years I am beginning to see that this is just a pipe dream.  Everyone seems content to ignore northern Maine and just continue shoving as much into the portion of Maine that goes from Portland to the border of NH.  Perhaps we should do as the people of northern Maine have been wanting for decades now and simply divide Maine into two separate states.

Saturday Night Adventures

Instead of posting on some of the hot button topics out there, I am taking this opportunity to share my Saturday night with my readers.  As this is something I have not done before, you can rest assured it will not be about sitting around watching Law & Order repeats while eating ice cream (my normal Saturday night.)  So, by now I bet you are asking yourself, “Well, what the hell did he do?”  Let me tell you–last night my wife and I went out with some friends to a strip show at Altera, the local gay bar in our area.  The event was hosted by Kindred of Maine and they did an excellent job.

Here in the Lewiston/Auburn area of Maine it is hard to maintain an alternative bar as the community is not generally accepting of it and people that would normally patron such a place tend to be rather shy about being seen going there in this area–which is a rather sad commentary for this area.  There have been several such bars in the area over the years–including some that catered to both homo and heterosexual clientele.

I really enjoy going to these events as the people that perform are very brave and always put on a good show.  Along with the strip show we try to attend every drag show that comes to the area and we are friends with several of the queens that perform, including Shaunna Rai.

Now, back to last night.  There were only three performers, however they all did an excellent job and their bravery was quite apparent.  They were all very attractive male performers who appeared quite comfortable with their bodies and despite the limited area they had to dance in, let loose with their bodies and performed very well for their audience.  I wish I had thought to bring a camera with me as I would have loved to include some of the pictures here in this post, but the thought slipped my mind.

I am hoping that Altera lasts for quite some time as I would enjoy making it my regular bar.  It is a nice, relaxing place to go without having to worry about getting hit on which happens at the local straight bar that we go to (on those rare occasions when we go out.)  There is just something about the atmosphere of a gay bar that I find more comfortable, more able to be myself I guess you could say.

At any rate, it was a good night had by all, audience and performers alike.  I just want to throw out to my readers, if you ever get the chance to go to any type of performance at a gay bar, take the chance and go you may just be surprised at how much of a good time you have.

 

Marriage Equality For Maine

Marriage Equality USA logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

November is fast approaching us and with it comes the ballot issue again about Marriage Equality, or if you prefer, same-sex marriage.  While I can understand some people in this state are tired of hearing about the issue, this fact does not change the fact that it is an important issue.  Just as important as their casino initiative they kept pushing for until they go it approved.

There really does not need to be a law saying people of the same gender can marry one another, however, since it seems in this country the majority are allowed to dictate how the minority will live, it becomes important to get this law passed not only in Maine, but across the entire nation–which will call for the Federal government to step up and make it happen, how soon will that occur though, that is what everyone is wondering.

One of the local news stations posted a question on their Facebook page asking how everyone thought Obama’s declaration on same-sex marriage would affect the issue in Maine, well along with some reasonable answers (meaning they actually answered the question) the hate and bigotry came out, like it always does.  My favorite has always been “How many times do we have to say no to this?”  Of course I cannot help but be the asshole and remind the person that the people said no many times to casinos but that did not stop the question from getting asked.

Personally, I think the legislature did the right thing back in 2009 by putting the law into place themselves, this is not an issue for the people to vote on.  I mean seriously, how do it matter to you if two men or two women get married?  What difference does it make?  By that logic I should be able to argue any law on the books because I do not agree with it and if I get enough signatures send it to a vote for the people to decide…  umm, no.  This is why we have an elected body, they not only do what they think is right for the state overall, but for the betterment of individual people or groups of people.  Having the entire population of a state vote on an issue that affects a small minority reeks of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”.

Are there other issues this state needs to be putting more effort into?  Absolutely, however this one cannot be ignored or swept under the rug.  It is not going to go away.  I completely understand that people do not agree with comparing it to Women’s Rights and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960′s, however, you cannot deny the similarities that are inherent in all these issues.  All three issues were argued against from a religious stand point–that’s right, read your history, women and blacks were denied their rights because for these “The voice in the sky told me” people, they were unworthy of the same rights and liberties as good WHITE MALE god loving people.

Same-sex marriage is not going to lead to the erosion of marriage (heteros are taking care of that well enough), no natural disasters are going to come about, it won’t lead to legalization of bestiality or pedophilia (anyone that believes that or uses it as an arguing point is a complete and total fucktard).  Why are you all so eager to deny this basic right to others?  You won’t even grant them civil unions with the same protections as a marriage, have you learned nothing from history??

Aside from the aspect of love, couples deserve to be protected in all aspects: insurance, benefits, etc. etc.  Everything you get from being married same-sex couples should be entitled to as well.  Religion has no place in this issue, religion is the crutch you use when all other arguments fail.  When everything else is disputed and proven wrong you fall back on the “man in the sky”.

You bigots sicken me.  One day, and it will come soon, something you cherish and hold dear will be at risk of being taken from you because enough people find it objectionable and I guarantee you I will be standing there fighting for your right to keep it, despite how much I hate you.  Why?  Because no one has the power to take away our rights, the majority can not, and will not, dictate to the minority when it comes to issues of equality.

In closing I leave you with the following, if it touches and affects just one person I will be satisfied:

    First they came for the communists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

-Martin Niemöller

Related articles

• Facebook Co-Founder Chris Hughes and His Partner Sean Eldridge Give $100K to Maine’s Marriage Equality Campaign (towleroad.com)
• President Obama’s on Marriage Equality (thefirstwire.wordpress.com)
• Will Marriage Equality Affect 2016 Presidential Race (pinkbananaworld.com)
• Harry Reid Support Marriage Equality and a Vote on DOMA Repeal (pinkbananaworld.com)
• Illinois Governor Comes Out For Marriage Equality (thinkprogress.org)
• Gay relationships “morally acceptable” – poll (seattlepi.com)
• POLL: 51 Percent Agree With Obama On Marriage Equality (thinkprogress.org)

Paranoia At Big Brothers/Big Sisters

So for the last year or so my step-son has been involved with the Big Brother/Big Sister program.  We have been really pleased with the Big that was placed with him–they get along great and share many of the same interests.  The Big has been great for my step-son as he has opened him to new experiences such as learning to play the keyboard, something my step-son has taught himself, yes he is that bright.  However, recent events have created a shadow for me with the BB/BS program that I sincerely hope is limited only to Maine and not reflected nationwide.

One of the activities the Big wanted to do was overnight camping.  My wife and I, once we had gotten to know him, were agreeable to this and saw no problems with it.  When the Big originally signed up with BB/BS he was told this was not a problem and he would be able to do it.  My step-son has been looking forward to the over night camping trips and I think it would be great for him to experience the outdoors in that aspect.  However, with changes made to the program they have said that over night camping is no longer allowed and they will need to stick with day time activities.

Well, after some discussion between my wife and I and the Big we have all decided to part ways with BB/BS.  The major reason being that when we attempted to talk with our liaison she become very paranoid and flat out accused the Big of maybe being a pedophile, the same Big she could not say enough good about to everyone up until there was a disagreement over the rules.  That was the final line for all of us and we have permanently parted ways with BB/BS and will not be allowing the younger boys to be a part of the program.

While I can understand the need for keeping a watchful eye out for children, the persecution of adults that volunteer for these programs is ridiculous.  We have no complaints about the Big, he takes the time to talk with us, does not avoid us and gets along very well with our son.  Granted we can never be to careful and we must be aware of the signs, but sometimes the smoke you see is just plain old dirt in the air and not indicative of a fire.  The same things that people see as signs of a pedophile are a lot of the things a Big needs to employ to be successful in bonding with their little; empathy, ability to relate with them, kindness, etc.

After my experience with this woman at BB/BS over our Big I am tempted to wonder if she treats the Big Sisters the same way she does the Big Brothers.

Separation of Church and State is a One Way Street

I apologize for the quality of this image, it was taken from my cell phone as I was driving down the road.  I chose to insert it as a thumbnail so that you can open it to view it fully without losing this post.  A little background on this image:  Maine, where I live, no stalking please , has a law called something to the effect of “Keep Maine Beautiful”, among other facets of it, billboards are not allowed in the state, except apparently for this religious based one.  This billboard has been around for many years, 20+, and I have always wanted to comment on it so I decided between this image and a post I have been drafting about the inequality of the idea of “Separation of Church and State” I had a pretty good article to write.

I’ve never understood why it is so possible for the church to be so active, and persuasive in government, but the first time anything even remotely comes about that appears to go against their beliefs they scream bloody murder.   For this to be an effective stance it needs to work in both directions or you wind up with what we currently have, a broken system.

All to often people bemoan the influence of government on religion, i.e. the current issue with contraception, however, these same people miss a lot of the influence that the church is permitted to have outside of their designated sphere of influence.  If the church is so unwillingly to change their ways as to allow basic human rights, then they have no place is our modern society.  Americans have proclaimed clearly we do not want religion in our public schools, in our medical decisions or in fact in our government at all.  While I can agree that the 10 Commandments provide a good base for laws for society, history shows that a government based on religion rule never works out as well as it is proclaimed.

It is not for me to decide if Jehovah, or any other god is real or not, but the numbers show that people are moving away from organized religion.  Through actions of their own the church is losing followers because the church itself is not adhering to its own doctrine!  The Bible is a great book if read as literature or from a life lesson point of view, I truly find offense in the idea that it describes how we are supposed to live.  While a somewhat poor analogy it still serves the purpose, if I as a parent treated my kids as the Christian god treats his followers I would lose my children and wind up with jail time.

The church needs to be held accountable for all its actions.  If they want to become a political force then they need to lose their tax exempt status.  Opinions are one matter, supporting certain candidates with money or words is something else entirely.  We are so afraid of going against the church for fear of what exactly?  I am not denouncing religion, I never have it is for each person to have their own beliefs, however when they try to force their beliefs on me, tell me I am damned because of my own beliefs, then they are doing wrong and deserved to be punished.

Tax the churches, hold them accountable for their actions and make everything they do transparent to the public, and you know what, if they don’t like it the sanctimonious assholes can go back to Rome.

Related articles

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• Separation of Church and State is a Must in America! (socyberty.com)
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But, I Touched Him Before You Made The List

So, adding to the list of absolutely asinine court cases is one here in Maine where 16 Plaintiffs, all listed as John Doe, are arguing that their names should not be retroactively applied to the sex offender registry.  Wait, what?  Yeah, you read that right, I guess for them it didn’t count because the law for the registry wasn’t in affect.I am sorry but you did the crime, doesn’t matter when, you did it and we have the right to be informed.  I find it far safer to have them on the list and have the neighborhoods be aware than to leave them off for some loophole and have it taking them doing it again to get on the list.

Personally, the fact that they are John Doe-ing through this makes it a big laugh for me, if you want the chance to prove yourself do not hide, stand up and be a man, figuratively speaking of course.  Personally I hope the future judges keep this law in affect, does not matter when you committed the crime, you still did it.

Sex offender registry ruling likely to be appealed