Homosexuality a "civil right"

Since when is a chosen pattern of behavior a civil right?

Homosexuality is often lumped in with gender and race. The proponents, who want to force society to accept their lifestyle, are attempting to claim the same moral high ground taken by those who fought for the rights of women and minorities.

The problem is this: race and gender are what someone IS. They are immutable, innate physical characteristics. Sexual behavior is just that, BEHAVIOR. It is a pattern of actions, of what someone DOES, rather than what they ARE.

That being the case, it seems we've opened up a whole new area for civil rights status to be applied. So when does adultery qualify for civil rights status? How about incest or bestiality? Practitioners of such lifestyles need to come out of the closet and proudly proclaim just who they are and stop tolerating treatment as second-class citizens!

Proposition 8 overturned

The institution of marriage continues to be attacked by the elites in this country, and they pervert the Constitution to do it. Or rather they pre-determine an outcome and try to make that opinion sound like it's based on the Constitution and court precedent.

So here's the truth: marriage is what it is. One man and one woman, legally and morally committed for life. Marriage exists not only for the happiness of the individuals who are married, but in order to create a stable family unit to raise children safely and to pass on the values necessary to function in society. Marriage is the basic social unit of society.

And that's what marriage is. You can no more change it than you can say that 2 + 2 = 7 or that a green leaf is actually red. Marriage is what it is, and it's a social unit consisting of a man and a woman. Nothing else.

So what's been done here is not "equality" or "civil rights" for some oppressed minority. What's being done is the re-definition and watering down of marriage by the elitists, who of course are more enlightened and progressive than the rest of us peasants. The judge in this case has essentially said that 2 + 2 does equal 7, and all of you idiots out there who thought 2 + 2 = 4 are just bigots.

So now actual, traditional marriage is now "homophobic", according to this judge. Huh. Who would have thought? I just married my wife to stick it to those icky homosexuals, apparently.

More thoughts on this later.

The New Currency Is Obedience

From HotAir.com...

The past two years have seen a profound change occur in the American system. Our basic currency is no longer the dollar. People like Jason Levin understand the nature of our new currency, which is obedience.

Obama Democrats worship central planning. They have repeatedly expressed the belief that only powerful, maternal government can be trusted to allocate the most essential resources, or manage vital industries. The free market is a playpen, filled with the stuff that isn’t serious enough to merit direct control by the Mother State. When a particular toy causes the children of the electorate to scream, it is quickly snatched out of the pen. The free market can’t even be trusted to deal with airline fees for carry-on luggage… which turned out to be a market response to previous government action. You are expected to sit quietly and swallow your tears if Mother State chooses to beat you over the head with one of your toys.

Central planning is useless if nobody follows the central plans. Where the free market is persuasive, organizing resources by responding to demand and exploiting opportunity, central planning is coercive. It must compel obedience to its designs, and compulsion is always necessary. If people were eager to follow those designs of their own free will, there would be no need for central planning in the first place.
Obedience to the just laws of a minimal government doesn’t replace the currency of freedom – it enhances its value, by creating an environment of trust and cooperation. Your time is made more valuable by the knowledge you are protected from murder, theft, and fraud. This broadens the options available to you in life.
When the economy falls under political control, the practical value of your freedom shrivels. Success becomes determined by the favor of the State, and the exercise of political power. For example, labor unions are rewarded for their loyalty to the Democrat Party, including proposed public bailouts of their unsustainable pension plans, and exclusive access to government contracts. Such transactions work both ways, as powerful constituencies trade votes for obedient service from politicians.
The Tea Party is the living incarnation of disobedience. It is driven by the words and deeds of people who refuse to submit. Its members demand the return of money and power appropriated by an out-of-control federal government. They won’t allow their lives to be sculpted by the knives and chisels of penalties and subsidies. They speak out against an ugly reality that President Obama’s supporters don’t like to confront: political control of the economy consists of directives, which require submission, which can only be assured through punishment. No matter how benevolent the stated goals of such a system might be, there is nothing benevolent about the methods it must use to attain them.

Brilliant, and exactly right.

An open letter to Steny Hoyer

Courtesy of Roger Simon from Pajamas Media:

Dear Congressman Hoyer,

I have read your statement asking Republicans to condemn threats of violence that have been made toward Democratic representatives in the aftermath of the passage of the health care bill.

I am a registered Democrat, but since I have voted (mostly) Republican in recent years, let me assure you that I unequivocally condemn those threats and any possible acts of violence taken in response to the bill. That is not even remotely the way to settle such political disputes. Such things must be handled at the ballot box.

That said, and for similar reasons, I also unequivocally condemn the actions of the Democratic Party in running roughshod over the clear will of the American people. Every poll taken in proximity of the vote showed our citizenry in substantial opposition to the global health care reform being pushed through Congress by you, Speaker Pelosi and the administration.

And yet, in the grand tradition of totalitarian regimes everywhere, you employed “any means necessary” to make sure your ends were achieved, bribing and threatening your fellow Congressmen and women, etc. It is small wonder that our people are angry. It would be amazing if it were otherwise.

You have reaped a whirlwind by subverting a democracy. Now you must deal with it. The Democratic Party is no longer “progressive” or “liberal.” It is reactionary. And you and your cohorts have forever defined yourselves as reactionary politicians.

Violence is to be condemned, but so is the desecration of a great democracy.

Sincerely,

Roger L. Simon

I couldn't agree more.

Last Stand of the Wreckers
Issue 1
Not bad at all. This is clearly a setup issue, but it’s a good one.

The first issue cuts back and forth between two major plot threads as characters are introduced and situations established. It begins with the fall of the Garrus-9 prison to the Decepticons, led by Overlord. I’m not very familiar with early 90s G1 characters, particularly European exclusives, so I’ve had to look up the various characters featured in the story to learn who they are. I’m sure Nick Roche will put his own spin on them, but I was still curious to learn who Skyquake was, or Kick-Off, or Ironfist. I always enjoy seeing obscure G1 characters get some page time and development, and this series will certainly do that.

That leads to the second plot, the introduction of the new additions to the Wreckers crew. Now I’ve never been a big fan of the Wreckers, but I’m willing to be won over. Kup and Springer’s commando group who take on near-suicidal missions has a rotating roster, and Springer expresses doubts about training new recruits who will likely end up dead. Given the severity of the violence under Overlord’s rule, I’d bet he’s right.

The violence is brutal under Overlord’s rule, as Autobots are hunted down for sport or corrupted as they try to survive. Kick-Off’s situation references his toy bio, as he’s trapped and forced to fight for his life, becoming just as ruthless as any Decepticon in the process. I did get a good laugh out of his “alt modes are for wimps” remark, since he’s an Action Master. Then of course, he rips off his opponent’s head, and the scene turns dark again.

I was surprised to see Verity turn up in the story. I’ve missed Simon Furman’s three human sidekicks, so it’s good to see Verity again, and her presence adds a much needed sense of scale to the characters and events. It’s amusing that she decided to stow away on Ultra Magnus’ ship and see the universe rather than go back to her old life on Earth. I hope she doesn’t suffer the same fate as poor Hunter.

I liked this issue quite a bit. The story is strong on continuity with earlier IDW stories, and gives us a glimpse of Megatron’s offensive that led to his victory in AHM, as well as showing us what’s going on elsewhere in the universe while the ongoing is focusing on Earth. It also shows us what life under Decepticon rule would be like, or at least what it would be like under a sadist like Overlord. It’s a good start to the series.

IDW's Deep Space Nine comic - Issue 1

Out of all the modern Star Trek series, Deep Space Nine is my favorite. I hadn't been really tempted by IDW's Trek comics up to this point, though I've thought about trying them out, but a DS9 mini-series was enough to get me to finally bite the bullet. And it's not bad... not stellar, but a good stab at capturing the look and feel of the show. I'll try to avoid too many spoilers, but some are bound to creep in.

The story: obviously we're in the introductory chapter here. There's a rundown of what the station is, and a little of its history as two space travellers arrive and dock, and one fills the other in. It's a decent refresher on the basic premise of DS9. Being an opening chapter, the story sets up the problem and poses questions without really giving very many answers, but that's about what I'd expect at this point. This particular story sits between the third and fourth seasons, after Sisko was promoted to captain and Odo killed the Changeling on the Defiant, but before Worf joins the crew.

I'll give the writer credit: he's done his homework. The story hits a lot of the right beats. The station exterior and interiors look like the sets from the show. The characters are recognizable from their actions and dialogue, particularly Odo. We get his rule against phasers on the promenade, his suspicion and rivalry with Quark, Sisko's baseball, Kira's aggressiveness when confronted with a problem, etc. We even get a "Morn talks too much" gag. Sisko and Dax's long time friendship is evident.

The art: servicable, if not as photo-realistic when it comes to the characters as I'd like, but I suppose it's not really fair to expect that level of precision. Not on a monthly book. Some of the characters are drawn more consistently than others. Some of the layouts are slightly busy, but then the artist is trying to replicate the details of the show, so that's good. Kira looks like she was melted down and poured into her uniform, which is a bit over the top. But overall everything seems reasonably authentic when compared to the TV show, and that's the important thing.

Overall: There's one thing that really made me enjoy this issue, and that's because it succeeded in capturing the look and feel of the tv show, even if the likenesses aren't always strong. A good start, and I'm looking forward to reading the second issue.

A great quote from one of Ronald Reagan's radio programs in the late 70s.

"Socialists ignore the side of man that is of the spirit. They can provide shelter, fill your belly with bacon and beans, treat you when you're ill, all the things that are guaranteed to a prisoner or a slave. They don't understand that we also dream." - Ronald Reagan