Doom Gloom and Girl Scout Cookies

Dear Readers


Ugh...ugh ugh ugh...that is the only sound I can make as of late with all the awkward, annoying, and disturbing news I've had the unfortunate opportunity to read. Unfortunate, not because I could read about it, but because of what the news contained.

The first news report comes from Rachel Maddow's Facebook who relayed this news article;  (http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/meet-mccrorys-top-environmental-official)

"World Net Daily occasionally influences politicians like Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), but in general, most sensible folks have some rudimentary understanding of where oil comes from. Weird extremists have a very limited ability to influence public policy.

But consider this recent exchange between WRAL’s Laura Leslie in North Carolina and John Skvarla:
LESLIE: I’m thinking about what you’re saying about natural gas and that’s true. You know, obviously, it’s very cheap right now. You know, on the flip side, it’s a finite resource and fossil resource. I mean, is there –

SKVARLA: There are some people who disagree with you. The Russians, for instance, have always drilled oil as if it’s a renewable resource. So far, they haven’t been proven wrong. There’s a lot of different scientific opinion on that."

Yep you read that right, Skvarla, one of the top North Carolina Environmental Specialists believes that natural gas and oil are infinite renewable resources.

Okay, there is some truth to this ideology, but the time frame is all wrong. Skvarla, along with most of World Net Daily's readership believe in a young Earth, ie, Creationism. This is their attempt to reconcile science with their delusion of reality. What's worse is that the creationist Christian movement is a derisive ideology that is harming humanity and our future.

Yes, if given another several million years, possibly even a few hundred million years the oil reserves we used would be replenished. The concept of Abiogenic Oil is false and has no basis in reality.

The next thing in my lovely list of anguish this morning was a video that I think needs to be disseminated.

Upworthy recently posted an article on the anti-gay violence occurring in Russia and it's definitely worth a watch. (http://www.upworthy.com/here-is-the-shocking-footage-of-gay-men-being-beaten-on-camera-in-russia)

The violence in Russia against gays has only escalated since the installation of their new anti-gay laws. Anti-gay laws that are scary in similarity to the laws now trying to be passed in the US. Arizona recently passed a resolution to allow for religious discrimination against gays. Similar laws have been put forward by state houses all over the US. Many being defeated by their respective senates. Both Kansas and Maine and Utah have all had anti-gay discrimination laws put forward by religious groups, passed by the house, and defeated by their Senates. Ohio seems to be next in line.

These "Religious Freedom Laws" vary in writing and form, but all essentially do the same thing, they give license to those of a specific religious class (Christianity) to hold prejudice and discriminate against gays and gay couples based on their religious beliefs. Every "christian" person who opposes homosexuality, be it the local baker, photographer, or business owner, to public servants such as; the police, firefighters, doctors, paramedics, etc, can refuse to help or provide services to a person if they're gay or perceived to be gay.

These laws are so wide and sweeping that they give a good deal of license to discriminate for one specific group of people against another. Any law of this nature that does pass their respective state congresses would be a violation of the constitution and would be one more law that gays and human rights activists will have to stand up to and defeat in court.

**

The deep and intrinsic connection between religious ideology and socio-cultural disdain for gays is overwhelming. Because of overzealous people lording their religion over their respective societies is the very reason why we must move away from Christianity and all religions. Christianity is the bane of our existence. For everything that it does that is "good" it does a dozen things that are bad.

However, it's not all doom and gloom.

In San Francisco a Girl Scout sold 117 boxes in front of a cannabis shop, she's been invited back. Read the entire article here: "http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/national-international/Girl-Scout-Does-Brisk-Business-Selling-Cookies-Outside-San-Francisco-Pot-Club-246452511.html" 

The Other Anti-Gay Country Not in the News; Nigeria

Dear Readers

While I stew over Russia's anti-gay hyper-religious laws, one country's radicalism has escaped my postings.
One of the reasons why I rag on Russia is because Russia is supposed to be civilized, a developed nation. Not Third World or even Second World (yes that is a term). It is supposed to be the Eastern equivalent to the US. In many ways it is, and in many oh so many ways it's not. So oppressive laws, overt in their language, coming out of Russia and the violence spurred there against the LGBT community is appalling and worth fighting against on both principle and as a fact that Russia, as a major world power, is meant to be setting a standard of sorts for human rights and progressiveness.

However, Nigeria has passed laws that go far beyond the disgusting oppressive (regressive) laws of Russia. Where Russia has acted to ban free speech on the matter of homosexuality, Nigeria has moved to make it out right illegal. Punishable by death. Many Nigerians that are of the LGBT community are afraid to leave their homes, to speak out against the law (especially because the laws against homosexuality also make it illegal to support homosexuality in any way).

From "http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/13/nigeria-gay-marriage-_n_4590799.html"
"Nigeria's president has signed a law banning same-sex marriage as well as homosexual associations, societies and meetings, with penalties of up to 14 years in jail.

The Associated Press obtained a copy of the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act on Monday signed by President Goodluck Jonathan and dated Jan. 7.

Any public show of love by people of the same sex is a new crime punishable by up to 10 years in jail. It is already a crime to have homosexual sex in the West African nation.

Operating or even going to a gay club, society or organization also becomes a crime.

Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States was "deeply concerned" by a law that "dangerously restricts freedom of assembly, association, and expression for all Nigerians."


"BAUCHI, Nigeria (AP) — Thousands of protesters massed outside the Shariah court in Nigeria's northern city of Bauchi, throwing stones into the building to demand the speedy convictions of seven men arrested for belonging to gay organizations.

Security officials shot into the air to halt the protest and the judge quickly halted the trial. He ordered the seven be returned to the safety of the prison.

The same court last week convicted a young man of sodomy and had him publicly whipped with 20 lashes. Though he was tried under Islamic law, his was the first conviction of a gay man in Nigeria since the president signed a bill that further criminalizes homosexuality under the penal code.

Bauchi state has both the Western-style penal code and Shariah, under which sodomy carries the death sentence."
"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/22/nigeria-gay-trial-protest_n_4645942.html"

Not only is homosexuality now barred by two separate legal systems, but one of the punishments is death.
This is a human rights travesty. Nigeria's President has institutionalized radical religious ideology mirroring the actions of one of humanities' greatest (yet evil) leaders of all time, Hitler.

It may seem cliche to compare a leader of a little known or country with little power taking radical actions to Hitler, but the comparison is valid. Hitler used radical religious rhetoric and laws to first ban Jews from working in Germany and Nazi controlled territory, then made them wear marks to identify them as Jews, regardless of if they were Jewish or Not. He held hearings to determine if people were Jewish or not. Sentenced many to imprisonment in internment camps, and then proceeded with genocide and the absolute persecution of those he found unworthy.

Nigeria is heading down a dark road we have already experienced and the US and the UN needs to act to squelch this discrimination before it balloons into a much bigger threat.

Sochi Olympics a World Stage: Why Russia's Hosting of the Olympics is an Stab in the Gut to Free Countries

Dear Readers

Oh the Olympics are under way an as we sit here cheering for Team USA or which every country you might be cheering on, I want you to consider just what having the Olympics in Russia represents.

Russia's draconian laws that ban free speech in regards to homosexuality, it's extreme anti-gay laws which come with anywhere between 15 days to decades long prison sentence only represents the surface of Russia's anti-freedom regime.

The list of Russian laws that allow very loose vague interpretations is long and branching. However, the current laws that go after the LGBTQ community are directly in violation of Russia's Constitution (The Constitution of the Russian Federation) which is closely tied to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"Between 2006 and 2013, ten regions enacted a ban on "propaganda of homosexualism" among minors. The laws of nine of them prescribe punishments of administrative sanctions and/or fines. The laws in some of the regions also forbid so-called "propaganda of bisexualism and transgenderism" to minors. As of May 2013 the regions that had enacted these various laws, and the years in which they had passed the laws, included: Ryazan Oblast (2006), Arkhangelsk Oblast (2011), Saint Petersburg (2012), Kostroma Oblast (2012), Magadan Oblast (2012), Novosibirsk Oblast (2012), Krasnodar Krai (2012), Samara Oblast (2012), Bashkortostan (2012),[note 3] and Kaliningrad Oblast (February 2013).[38]
In June 2012, the Moscow City Court upheld a new law banning gay pride parades in the city for the next hundred years.[39][40]" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Russia)

"In June 2013 the national parliament (the State Duma) unanimously adopted, and President Vladimir Putin signed,[41] a nationwide law banning distribution of "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" among minors.[33][4][42][43][44] The law does not explicitly mention the word "homosexuality", but instead uses the euphemism "non-traditional sexual relations".[4][45] Under the statute it is effectively illegal to hold any gay pride events, speak in defense of gay rights, or say that gay relationships are equal to heterosexual relationships.[37][4][42][43][44]
The law subjects Russian citizens found guilty to fines of up to 5,000 rubles and public officials to fines of up to 50,000 rubles.[46] Organizations or businesses will be fined up to 1 million rubles and be forced to cease operations for up to 90 days. Foreigners may be arrested and detained for up to 15 days then deported, as well as fined up to 100,000 rubles. Russian citizens who have used the Internet or media to promote "non-traditional relations" will be fined up to 100,000 rubles.[4]
The statute amended a law that is said to protect children from pornography and other "harmful information".[41] One of the authors of the statute, Yelena Mizulina, who is the chair of the Duma's Committee on Family, Women, and Children and who has been described by some as a moral crusader,[47][48][49] told lawmakers as the bill was being considered, "Traditional sexual relations are relations between a man and a woman.... These relations need special protection".[37] Mizulina argued that a recent poll had shown 88% of the public were in support of the bill.[50]
Commenting on the bill prior to its passage, President Putin said, during a visit to Amsterdam in April 2013, "I want everyone to understand that in Russia there are no infringements on sexual minorities' rights. They're people, just like everyone else, and they enjoy full rights and freedoms".[45] He went on to say that he fully intended to sign the bill because the Russian people demanded it.[37] As he put it, "Can you imagine an organization promoting pedophilia in Russia? I think people in many Russian regions would have started to take up arms.... The same is true for sexual minorities: I can hardly imagine same-sex marriages being allowed in Chechnya. Can you imagine it? It would have resulted in human casualties."[37] Putin also mentioned that he was concerned about Russia's low birth-rate and that same-sex relationships do not produce children.[41]
Critics say that the statute is written so broadly that it is in effect a complete ban on the gay rights movement and any public expression of homosexuality.[21][37][45]
On 21 July 2013, four Dutch tourists were arrested for allegedly discussing gay rights with Russian youths. The four were arrested for allegedly spreading "propaganda of nontraditional relationships among the under-aged" after talking to teens at a camp in the northern city of Murmansk.[51]"

Not only do these laws violate the freedom of religion clause of the Russian Constitution, but it also violates the freedom of speech guaranteed under the Russian Constitution. And because the law make's illegal to even raise a voice against the law, no one has attempted to successfully sue the Russian government over it's violations with these laws.

So what does this have to do with the Olympics?
The Olympics stand for unity of the world. Where everyone joins together to celebrate physical and mental achievement of our top athletes. It has served to represent a world community. However, with the Olympics in Russia with the current laws in place, it is serving to high light Russia's anti-gay laws and to exemplify Russia.

While it's true that the Olympics are bring a light to the lawlessness of Putin and his government, the truth is that the Olympics is also supporting the country by bringing business and people from all around the world to Russia. It's also putting many people at risk, regardless of the guarantees made by Putin and his government.

It's clear that Putin has any intention of reversing these laws or countering the hate speech and hate acts being carried out against gays while the Olympics take the spotlight. As we focus on the events, in the background the LGBTQ community is being beaten, hunted down, shunted, shuttered, and oppressed.

And because the Olympics bylaws prevent the Olympiads from using the Olympics as a political stage, we'll hear little to nothing about the problems during the Olympics. It is the perfect cover to keep Russia's human rights violations out of the international eye for awhile.