Looking for the Helpers

Posted on December 16, 2012 by Scattermom

I wish this generation had a Mr. Rogers. Seriously, was there no one to inherit this man’s wisdom? Obviously he learned a lot from mother, assuming that her advice to children about scary disasters is representative of all her advice.

My only issue with her statement was that a lot of the images we have to wade through to get to the helpers are too raw. For adults– let alone for small children.

I went and selected some Look For the Helper pictures that reinforced the words in the message without being terrifying.

They will accompany my very brief, very basic explanation. And if this sounds like a scripted speech that I’m practicing on y’all… well, yeah.

A 20 year old man with a very sick brain got very angry on Friday, and he didn’t have anyone to help him take deep breaths and calm down. He got so angry that he stole his mom’s guns and went to a nearby school to hurt innocent people– teachers and students. It was a big school though, and because all of the adults in the school acted very quickly, more people were safe than hurt.

The kids helped, too, by listening to their teachers and doing exactly what they practiced during safety drills. That’s why they have those drills, you know– to practice for an emergency.

Lots of people are very sad– even Mommy and Daddy– even without knowing the sick man, or any of the people who were hurt. We wish that all of the sick people in this country had a safe place where they could get the help they need to get themselves under control.

It’s okay to be angry, and I’m a safe person for you express that anger to if you need it.

The 20 year old with the gun wasn’t evil– he was sick. The teachers and kids he killed didn’t do anything wrong.

I don’t know why this happened– and I wish I did– but I do know that it doesn’t happen often.

I also know that the two* of you are SAFE. In school tomorrow and for the rest of the year– You are SAFE.

There are kids in school tomorrow whose parent may not want them to know– and that’s okay. If someone starts to talk about what happened and it’s making you uncomfortable or sad, it’s also okay to walk away. I’d prefer that y’all not discuss it at all without an adult present.

*I’m not telling Elliot right off; I’m hoping to avoid it unless Zach tells him first.

Actions are the First Tragedy in Life

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Scattermom

“Actions are the first tragedy in life, words are the second. Words are perhaps the worst. Words are merciless. . .” Oscar Wilde.

Tomorrow I have to sit down with my 6 year old and have a conversation about what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary school on Friday. I have to find a way to explain an unexplainable situation in a way that will give him the tools to push aside what other children may speak of on Monday. My first instinct was to assume he would remain naively ignorant of what happened… Then I thought about what that means in a classroom full of Other People’s Children.

No, what he hears first needs to come from home. But before I can sit down and do my very best impression of Mr. Rogers, I need to unload the most pressing of my bitter little pills.

First off, let me offer the same platitudes, to express my horror at what I assume it must feel like for the people most directly affected by the nonsensical event. For no matter how much my mother’s heart weeps for those stranger’s children, no matter how full my eyes became as I watched my innocent child run to me after school I cannot know.

And, oh, how absurdly grateful I am not to know. But I grieve with these people, these parents.

I understand– and own– my grieving process. First, I place myself into the shoes of the unknown stranger, mentally acting out my worst what-if scenarios. Then, because it’s hard to sustain that level of grief when it’s not IN YOUR FACE, I seek the news, and visually feed my horror on 24-hour loop.

9/11, oh the lessons you taught me about myself.

Then I get angry at everyone; feeling frustrated at how, even while the community of Newtown hug, the community of America begins to bicker.

GUN CONTROL! ARM THE TEACHERS! INCREASE SCHOOL SECURITY– BULLET PROOF WALLS! MORE COPS! MORE GOD! LESS GOD! BAN VIDEO GAMES!

What needs to happen to protect our children? That list is long and dirty– and not all of it surrounds school security and gun control. What this latest event proves to me– we are a country on the precipice of falling victim to our own seething contempt and virulent anger.

Bitter #1: Reporting Rumor as Fact, aka– Being a Fucktard

We all know what happened… oh wait, we don’t.
What we know, for fact, is that a total of 28 people (included the shooter and his mother) are dead; 20 children and 6 adults.

We know that a barely-man entered an elementary school and shot these people.

The rest of the facts?
Pay close attention to the words– may, perhaps, seemed like– because they are everywhere.

The shooter may have had a personality disorder;
the shooter may have been autistic;
the shooter seemed like a loner.
The family seemed nice; the mother was a good housekeeper, an involved parent.

Assumptions, not facts, and as such should never be originating with any sort of journalistic agency.

Yes, I want information– factual information.

The swiftness with which social media spreads rumors and e-publishing prints them? Damn.

Bitter Pill #2: Stereotyping Fear Words go BUZZ

The shooter was quiet, thin, pale; he was one of those goth-types.

As a unit, all of America gives a sympathetic nod since obviously all psychotic breaks begin with the quiet, thin, pale, goth kids.

Ah– the human need to systematically categorize people into neat boxes, ensuring that the stereotype can be quickly retrieved from its mental file folder.

Now I should be stuck between the fear of shy, thin, pale nerdy kids, and the fear of the black, hooded sweatshirt teenagers.

My point being that mental illness cannot be determined by a clothing size, or skin color.

Not all stereotypes are representative, as proven by such handsome, tan personable men like Ted Bundy.

Bitter Pill #3: Slaughters to be Blamed on the Separation of Church and State
Mike Huckabee shakes his head sadly and tells all of us that we should just sort of get used to being shot and killed thanks to the removal of public prayer. Why would God save these innocent children when we’ve stopped prayer in schools.

/facepalm/

Too much bitter, not enough energy. In short, would someone please explain the disconnect between the logic of “guns don’t kill people” and “non-theism kills us all”. Why do guns and god get a blame-free ride for they situations with which they are involved?

Huckabee, you are a douche-bag.

Bitter #4: GUN CONTROL! YOU CAN’T TAKE MY GUNS
If this could ever be a thoughtful, intelligent conversation among adults…

It’s ironic to me how these conversations keep getting pushed to the side because so many people are…what? Maybe afraid of pissing off people with guns?

But just a teeny-tiny bit of tact when discussing gun ownership rights when standing over the body-bags filled with dead children. For fuck’s sake, people.

Oh– and let’s just skip arming teachers, and give them to the 5 year olds at kindergarten registration.

Bitter Pill #4: Suffering from Mental Illness versus Evil is Among Us!

JB and I disagree on the standard for which we judge the state of being evil. I believe that all who massacre have a mental illness, but not all with mental illness will massacre.

JB thinks that people can be evil without being mentally ill.

Struggling with the idea that someone can be evil enough to mow down a classroom of kindergartners without being delusional in some way…too much for me to handle.

Note the use of the word suffer, mental illness in any capacity– not fun.

I just can’t imagine what happens in the life and mind of a 20 year old that ends with the answer of guns in an elementary school.

Wait– I can imagine the types of horrors that may occur in the life of a child– any one of which might preclude a psychotic break. Across the world children, even those in affluent neighborhoods, suffer unspeakable atrocities. Child abuse– whether physical, sexual, or emotional– knows no socioeconomic or racial barrier. And child abuse among children with developmental delays occurs at a rate almost twice (1.68) of non-delayed child. So whether this barely-man was developmentally delayed, abused, mentally ill– who knows? The most recent friend the media could find to interview had not spoken with Lanza since middle school.

We all ignore, thus condone, that reactive violence when funding for social welfare and mental health programs disappear. Cutting those funded programs in favor of providing guns for war tells each one of our children that bullets are the universal solution to all problems.

After all, children mimic what they see over what they are told.

I don’t know what, if anything, traumatic occurred in Adam Lanza’s life.

I feel part of the blame for our country’s failing systems– a place where children are killed by a barely-man.

I Pledge Allegiance

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Scattermom

Have I been stuck on kindergarten stuff over the past week?

Um, duh?

The latest:

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

See those words up there? They represent different emotions of varying levels of importance for each individual.

Here are a few:
1) It’s critical for the pledge to be said in public school, because reciting the words teaches children about patriotism!
2) I, or someone I know/am related to have just earned citizenship–pledging is the final stretch of the Citizenship triathlon.
3) The parts “under god” and “justice for all” are false to me, thus the entire pledge is also false.

As an Army brat, a US citizen, a sociologist, and a parent I could debate either for, or against any of the above points. Nicely demonstrative of what makes the definition of patriotism a multifaceted issue.

The Army Brat knows exactly the force of emotion when that pledge results in your parent going to a war.

The natural-born US citizen recognizes that my homeland’s “bad day/month/8-years” still looks dreamy to millions of wishful immigrants– and that saying the pledge during a citizenship ceremony marks the end of an expensive and bureaucratic battle.

The Sociologist comprehends that symbols, (symbolic interactionism) not our ability to accessorize, create cultural identity.

The student who once took both American and Women’s History knows that the words “under god” were added to flush out the commies in the Fifties, and that “justice for all” doesn’t mean everyone.

The Mother realizes that none of these subtle (or not subtle) nuances are part of my children’s experience repertoire. That saying the pledge won’t bring the same wealth of feeling that it brings to the Army Brat, or the new US citizen. That the underlying symbology of saying these words with the tribe is just that– symbology. For either of them, making a pledge doesn’t actually mean promising fealty to everyone in the United States. It just means going with the flock.

That’s it, right there– saying the pledge of allegiance doesn’t teach patriotism, it teaches children to memorize and repeat some words that some day will– or won’t– have greater meaning.

Some of the conservative-right like to trot that pledge and their (imported) flags out as a litmus test for citizenship. If you say the pledge, then you love America. If you don’t say the pledge, then you are an American-hating socialist!

During my research of the pledge’s origins (because the cool kids fact check), I realized something so delicious in its irony that I no longer feel twitchy about my kid saying the pledge.

Y’all– it was written by Francis Bellamy. Francis Bellamy, prior to entering into journalism was a religious SOCIALIST. Many of their vision statements parallel my own secular humanism beliefs quite nicely.

Again, in case you missed it: A socialist wrote the pledge of allegiance. Am-azing.

“Give me your tired, your poor, YOUR HUDDLED MASSES…” you know?

I tried to explain all of these points during an opinion debate on an online forum. I should have kown better. But when one of them decided to suggest that my patriotism is less for my ambivalence to the pledge, going on to tell me that I am incapable of teaching my children to respect soldiers unless we genuflect in front of a flag? Honestly? Makes me want to TP* your house.

*I would never TP someone’s house, because wasting that much paper kills trees and hurts my hippie heart. I might cloth rag your house though.*

I teach my children:

1) to respect PEOPLE.
2) that real life heroes– soldiers, firemen, police, teachers, EMTs, sanitation workers (Yes, garbage collectors– have you any idea the amount of disease that would spread without them?)– deserve our respect.
3) that demonstrating respect is polite.
4) that the uniform deserves respect, but that the person wearing it may not.

Teaching them to respect ALL people (as much as children can), because we are humans has turned out to be pretty darn simple.

So when the faceless internet people suggest that those of us that aren’t all yippee about the pledge are remiss patriots, I personally feel like:

I could spend the next 100 words defending myself– but to what end? My family lived the sacrifices that prompts some people to walk up to a soldier expressing their thanks.

**A lifetime of personal experience, and the memory of the man that fathered me allows me to teach my children about what it means to be a solider in the United States.
**I promised to give warning before I posted items that bring on tears. So. Warning.

They understand loss.

Finally, both of my children get life experience about what it means to be an American.

To seek truth and pursue it, not blind allegiance to the way it has always been is how we teach patriotism.

What’s in a name?

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Scattermom

What’s in a name? Well, let’s imagine your last name is Graves, and your lifelong dream is to be a probate judge.

How could you not vote for him? Or perhaps, more importantly, there’s an election for probate judge? While I understand probate is a grave matter…

More thoughts on Amendment One NC

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Scattermom

Obviously I strongly oppose every thing about Amendment One.

It’s not a new feeling.

Some of the things I’ve heard come out of the mouths of…

Ahhhh—- take a deep breath, shake up my calm-down jar. Pretty glitter.

Okay.

I’ve read the calmer statements– and man, oh man– I wish I could be them.

I do. Sort of.

Imagine graciously delivering a statement calling actions bigoted without being abrasive, or obvious?

I know a woman with a talent like that– though not, to my knowledge, used for that particular purpose. My cube sat outside her office for 3 years– you’d think some would have rubbed off, but alas no such luck.

Often I try to use sarcasm, only to get really sad when the recipient doesn’t get it.

Le sigh.

It was The Day After North Carolina Embarrassed Us All, but I still had to drive Zach to preschool. On the radio– NPR’s The State of Things with guest, Macky Alston, director of Love Free or Die. His voice… was so soothing, so rational, so healing.

Here I am exhausted, depressed, smelly, unbrushed hair… preparing to drive to carpool after a morning spent trying (and failing) to be positive and gracious. Attempting to explain the loss to my 5 year old–who has yet to lose an important vote. And, quite frankly, doesn’t understand why adults are so stupid about things.

Then I’m half-sobbing listening to this gay man– a christian, a father, a husband– reassuring the defeated that progress has been made.

I’m listening to him, and seeing the signs all over the interstate FOR the amendment. It’s exhausting, those kinds of sensory assaults.

I wish I could be that guy. Or, this guy, Justin Lee. I don’t share his religious beliefs, but the very existence of a Gay Christian Network makes me all gooey inside.

You see, I’m an atheist, but I don’t blame religion. One, I know too many decent religious/faithful people. Two, I know too many hateful people that need the threat of eternal hellfire to behave themselves.

Civil rights, for women and for blacks– started in churches. Having faith makes someone faithful, not hateful.

After all, I don’t support those that seek to blame all Muslim’s for September 11th– so for me to blame all christian’s would be… illogical and unfair.

I do, however, blame the men and women that pervert the text of a religious book to fit their own whims, politics, personal fears, or prejudices. Especially those that pluck out a passage or two to support their reasons, and ignore the rest.

It makes me furious that people use the constitution as a shield for their own rights, and as kindling for someone else’s. Furious.

But that’s okay, movements need the angry people, too. If for nothing more than to make the gracious people look better. That I can do, no problem.

NC Passes the Marriage Amendment

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Scattermom

I remember the blazing disappointment when Dubya was re-elected. You see, I lived in Durham, worked in Chapel Hill; my perspective of reality was blurry.

By the way– it’s late, and I’m sad and angry. Raging, actually. I remain convinced that the intent behind passing the marriage amendment was always devoid of religious conviction, the purpose only for re-election. I see what conservatives mean about too much government because their power? That sort of extremist-fly-a-plane-into-building-mentality? Horrifying.

Protecting the rights of even the least individual among us is basically the only excuse the government has for even existing. Ronald Reagan.

Even Ronald Freaking Reagan wouldn’t be down with this nonsense.

I saw the For signs decorating too many surfaces today. I suspected the outcome. But I was hopeful, mostly that many closeted homosexuals would say “for” and vote “against”. But it didn’t turn out that way.

But what made me pull over and park after carpool was my 5 year old saying, “don’t worry, Mom. I’ll fix it [discrimination] when I’m a grown up”. There you have it everyone. Even a 5 year old sees it as broken.

Perhaps the zealots plan to attack my atheist marriage? After all, if the origins and definitions of marriage are purely biblical, then my marriage doesn’t apply. Right?

Thanks to facebook I felt a little less alone, less isolated in my horror.

But then… then someone decided to point out that the people had spoken. And that I should just get over it. After mulling over what I wanted to say, it occurred to me. I had already written it.

Being a bigot is wrong. Complaining about big government, socialist spending, and then supporting an amendment to the constitution because you are terrified of homosexuals is WRONG. Racism, sexism, animal abuse– wrong, wrong, wrong.

Amending the constitution to restrict equal rights isn’t like disagreeing over whether McDonad’s or Burger King has the best hamburger It’s about people, who claim to be conservatives, supporting small government, only to turn around and vote for legislation that puts government ALL UP IN PEOPLE’s business. The children that will lose their health insurance? Guess who’s going to pay for that? Yup. those social welfare programs (also biblical, by the way) that no conservative likes to fund.

All those people who love each other, love their families, living a low-key life, just like me? Just trying to enjoy their life, here on earth? Thanks to this amendment NC just said, “screw you– there is something *wrong* with how you were born”.

You know what? I have one kid with brown eyes, and one with blue– determined because of biology and genetics– just like sexuality. Oh– and if it’s a biblical thing, then I’d like a constitutional amendment banning shellfish, pork, and wearing polyester (three of North Carolina’s very favorite things)– because all of those? Sins in the bible, too.

But, if either of my children–my sons– are gay– I stand proud in the fact that I will never, ever, never, ever have to look them in the eye, and say that I was once a bigot. Instead, they will always be secure in knowing that I LOVE THEM no matter whether they date/marry an Ann, or a Stan. And that feels good.

Yes, I truly can be mad that 61% of this state voted on bigoted legislation, especially considering my gender hasn’t enjoyed equal rights for very long. Are y’all going to take those back now, too?

I truly can BE FURIOUS that the biggest pushers of these flavors of religious legislation look exactly like the people who talk themselves blue in the face about government waste on social programs, lazy bums that won’t work, etc. Only to end the rant, complaining that the government has too much power!

Why does this attitude, in particular, raise such fury? Because it’s fucking idiotic to DENY things like universal health insurance in the “name of small government”, only to vote for a law intended to be a morality litmus test, based on some words in a book.

Cognitive dissonance (google it) Just Pisses Me Off.

Even worse is that the whole thing– ALL OF IT– is red herring legislature designed to get these folks re-elected. Can’t fix the economy or unemployment? Let’s attack the gay folks!

Go talk to a teacher– ask them how they feel about the frozen pay raises, lay offs and increased work load.

Instead of money for that, NC legislators spent it on a constitutional amendment to “protect” us from something that was already illegal. I mean, really– did y’all even read this thing?

“I AM NOT A BIGOT” A common refrain from the pro-side. I get it, I understand that saying that to another human makes them all itchy and twitchy. They stop listening to reasonable discourse, get all angry and defensive.

The problem? None of them were listening to reasonable discourse to begin with. So, why not calls them as I sees them.

I am baffled by the people duped into saving marriage by disallowing it for an entire population. But I don’t hate them. I am disgusted by their actions; I feel sorry for their ignorance. Mostly I wished all of them would have stayed home today!

Then again, I READ the words. I searched the history of the bill. Not on huffington post or fox news. I read it straight from the general assembly website.

I can honestly say, with complete conviction that I don’t respect a damn thing about someone that supports this law. Which makes me sad, because for every person that I stand with, in agreement, I’m probably related to someone that would support it. Which means all my biting-my-cheek-don’t-say-anything-is-all-used-up.

I can agree to disagree on politics, on religion, on parenting strategies, on whether or not red dye is unhealthy. But I cannot find a single reason to respect those that participated in this political maneuver.

Later, when their kids kill themselves because they are gay and alone; or when the police won’t press domestic violence charges on boyfriend Jimmy John when he beats her up again again– well, surprise, surprise Goomer.

Also, as an aside? If I hear the statement: “I don’t hate gay people; I have gay friends” one.more.time… Double shame on those of you with that positive exposure to that which is different from you, only to then vote in an amendment that purposefully and maliciously denies those friends equality under the law. Sounds similar to the old days (you know, about 40 years ago) when a similar type person might talk to one of their “colored friends”, and then go home and pull the white sheet and pointy hat out the closet.

Once upon a time, interracial marriage was illegal.

Once upon a time–for a LONG damn time, I was considered property because I had a vagina. I’m still not quite equal, what with that pesky pay inequality thing, but I’d like to keep moving forward. Are you planning to write me back into the kitchen? Will that be before, or after, you take away my birth control?

There are PLENTY of christians, conservatives, purple people eaters– friends of mine, that do not, and did not support this hate bill. They are the type of christians that I wish the rest of you could/would be; the ones that use faith as a personal enhancement rather than a weapon.

Oh, and celebrators? You might have won tonight, but I wouldn’t get too comfy. This action motivated all of the smart people I know. And I don’t mean, Jeopardy-smart, I mean Sheldon-smart. So, good luck with that.

Vote AGAINST the Marriage Amendment and Legislation in Violation of the Separation of Church and State

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Scattermom

May 8th– tomorrow, the big voting day. The final chance for my fellow North Carolinians to power their way through the screaming “you’re going to hell” protesters, into that voting booth and say–with an emphatic NO– we will not support Paul Stam’s bigoted hate legislation.

Oh wait. You support* the amendment, but dislike being called a bigot? You feel that description somehow unfair? You assumed the responsibility for defining what god meant– and denying what Jesus preached– only to get antsy when others disagree with your interpretation?

Not only do I disagree with the hate-interpretation, I think your Jesus would, too. After all, he did say love thy neighbor, not loathe thy neighbor’s lifestyle.

*Many of the faithful do not support the amendment– I’m not speaking to them. It’s not religion I blame, but those that use religion as an excuse for their hate.

I was shocked and disgusted to hear the painful rhetoric from Sean Harris.

What I feel after hearing Paul Stam’s admittance to being influenced by the Alliance Defense Fund resembles a really unfortunate case of food poisoning. You really think this sort of lawmaking is appropriate? That the time and money spent by legislators on morality legislation somehow justifies those same resources being denied for things like jobs, education, and health?

You’ve been convinced that your neighbor’s homosexual marriage will somehow result in the sexual abuse of your dog?

Are you stupid? And I apologize–sort of–because I know that calling y’all stupid doesn’t make you amenable to listening to my reasoning.

But, for serious, can you explain the logical progression from equal rights for consenting adults to bestiality? Or child marriage– which, seems to exist almost exclusively with ding-ding extremist religions.

I’m just so… fucking angry. I try, so very hard, to be a tolerant atheist. I don’t lump all of those of faith into one bigoted bucket of bullshit. Really, I don’t. I’m the happy atheist, spending a lot of time trying to explain to my atheist brethren that to scream “ignorant idiot” at all of those with faith makes us no better than those screaming “heathen baby-eater” at us.

But it’s getting hard for me to maintain my secular humanist version of Kumbaya in the face of the religious right’s fungus-like infiltration of my democratic system. Take it from an objective bystander- your Jesus will not reward you for this hatred. None of these actions have anything to do with the words attributed to him.

Ladies and Gentlemen of North Carolina– those of you that seek to defend the Constitution. How can you wave the constitution in my face? And if you do, can you explain why it’s appropriate for the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal group to write NC legislation.

Where is my separation of church and state?

Y’all know– that little constitutional thing that churches parade out as a reason for not paying property taxes, or providing health insurance with a birth control clause?

You (religious corporations) do not get to participate in writing legislation without participating in paying for government.

So, seriously– where are my protections guaranteed to me with the separation of church and state? Or do I need to approach this separation from my 3 year old’s perspective on toy sharing: an absolute, but single-direction, right?

While we’re at it– can someone help me with an age-appropriate (for a 5 year old) explanation, should this pass? Because though I nailed it when explaining why we vote against the amendment, I’m fighting the need to yell, “because they are stupid-heads” when explaining why anyone would vote for it.

I could just tell him that “the religious right has purchased the lawmakers in our state and have proceeded to write legislation out of fear and deep hatred” but I think it’ll confuse him.

After all, it confuses me, too.

To The Rest of America from North Carolina

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Scattermom

I’m motivated. Motivated by the need to explain to the other 49 states in America that not everyone in North Carolina subscribes to the thinking of the most recent examples.

Unlike Jodie Brunstetter, the wife of Republican North Carolina state senator Peter Brunstetter, not all of us believe that the only way to save the Caucasians (we’re in danger? I didn’t know) requires the repression of equal rights for the LGBT community.

Unlike Pastor Sean Harris of Fayetteville– my Army-Brat-approved hometown– we don’t all advocate beating the gay out of our children.

It’s important, The Rest of America, that you understand that many of us consider ourselves native North Carolinians– and we don’t believe this way.

Just once– JUST ONCE– I would like to see my hometown/state in the news for something not related to crime and/or redneck bigots*. Which requires the law-abiding non-redneck bigot voice to speak louder.

*Note: Not all rednecks are bigots; not all bigots are rednecks. Conversely, redneck bigots exist outside of the South. Case in point, Pastor Harris was born in Massachusetts, so damnit, NC doesn’t have to take all the blame for him.

My Loud Voice:
I grew up in Fayetteville. My childhood home located less than a quarter mile from this church; I spent 5 years at the public school next door to Berean Baptist. I’ve watched it grow from a smallish church with some modular buildings to a mega church looming on a busy corner. The proximity of this place to my childhood memories makes me feel queasy and unsettled.

Dear Pastor Harris,

I spent most of last night listening to your sermons–many of them, not just the notorious one; I read all of your blog posts. I read your church’s Articles of Faith, and your Constitution (though navigating to it today proves difficult, glad I PDFed that sucker).

I found very little reason and logic, but one bit of good advice:– that a person has to explore the before and after of an event to truly understand the context. Of course, you were talking about verses in the bible, and I’m talking about your personal world view.

I understand the over-reach of political correctness is often a minefield. But–really, the blind guy doesn’t care, because he didn’t the spit coming? Gah, this made me feel icky.

He [referring to Jesus] pulls him [the blind man] out of town. He is not trying to have a big show of healing people in this town. He’s going to take care of this man, grabs him, leads him out of town, spits on his eyes. Gross! Right?

Moreover, if you are blind, it is not quite as big a deal.

It is not like you saw it coming.

Because of my time spent in your head— and listening to your words, reading your thoughts–provided me with a most unsettling glimpse– I’m 100% confident that not there wasn’t one iota hyperbole in the April 29th sermon. And I listened to the whole thing– all 54 minutes. A few times.

Even now I’m listening,– helps me focus– and I must say, dude, your micro-expressions and body language conflict with the words coming out of your mouth. In those moments when you start speaking of homosexuality, I find myself hearing the vehement hatred in your words, in your tone of voice, and watching the exponential increase of hand-flapping. That level of…is it self-directed hatred Pastor Harris? It’s hard, I imagine, to feel such loathing without personal experience.

I have complete faith in your belief that a parent can beat the gay out of their children. Who was it that beat the gay out of you?

Was it the pastor that “dealt” with you so very long ago?

I must admit, Pastor Harris, that when considering everything in context, that I find myself thinking that yes, you drove around Fayetteville lusting (your words, not mine)– but that it wasn’t females stirring your holy pole.

You, Sir, both moron and bigot, embody the perfect example of the supporters of this marriage amendment. I sat astonished at your bastardization of statistical facts and the absurdity fueling your political rhetoric. Around the 36 minute mark when you manage to draw a correlation between the closure of NC textile mills with the rampant procreation in the Malaysia? All for support of why we cannot allow gay marriage– because there will be no more children to be exploited in textile factories?

Oh my– priceless.

Though I am a bit perplexed at how you are registering folks (see minute 3:38, “not too late. you can get a voter registration form this morning”) to vote and maintaining your tax exempt provisions?

I’m also confused why y’all refer to yourselves as a corporation, yet don’t pay property taxes?

But, back to the point at hand:

A large part of me would like very much to “squash like a cockroach”– oh, you SO weren’t joking when you said that– the straight out of you. However, I payed a teeny tiny bit of attention during biology– so I understand that’s just an excuse for violence against something that disgusts me. That disgust, by the way– all for you.

Of course, you seem to believe that a person chooses homosexuality. According to you, this fact stems from the studies (not cited) of differing sexual preference between identical twins. Because if homosexuality were genetic, then both twins would be gay. Um, you do understand that for the first 6 weeks of gestation all fetuses are females, right? And while identical twins start from the same egg, that there is a lot of really complicated stuff that happens afterwards? Otherwise we’d all be born with tails?

Just saying.

You spend some time talking about the sin of stealing and correlating that to homosexuality. Because they are ALL SINS.

I admit I’m pretty hazy on many parts of the bible– something for which I thank my parents for every single day– but I’m reasonably certain that lying is one of those sin things y’all talk about.

On Wednesday, Harris said he regrets his choice of words and doesn’t advocate hitting children.

So, Pastor Harris, if you don’t support hitting children could you address the verbiage in your church’s constitution and articles of faith?

Air Force One

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Scattermom

President Obama traveled to Chapel Hill today, which means Air Force One landed at RDU. After dropping Z at school, I asked E if he might want to take a little ride, maybe see some planes.

And… 3 hours later, we got to see Airforce One take off– totally cool. Because I’m a dork.

Most of this adventure from Elliot’s POV? Perhaps not as exhilarating, though he met bunches of new friends to play with, so all was not lost.

A pictorial representation of a 3 year old’s first Air Force One sighting
Why does Mom keep laughing and mumbling about “seeing the Force through the trees”.

Is there something Starwars going on over there? Nope, just some blue plane.

Now, that guy has a big camera. Let’s make faces at him.

I believe someone told me not to climb this…

I hate the wind. I hate the cold. I hate planes. Why won’t she take me home? Are there snacks in this giant suitcase thing? Dammit, not even a crumb. Perhaps it can double as a blanket? Since I have negative 25% body fat. UNLIKE THE WOMAN WITH THE CAR KEYS UP THERE.

Ahhhh… a windbreak over here in General Aviation. And a GIANT plane. Why exactly where we on the other side, freezing our arses off?

An ADHD 35 year old’s take on seeing Airforce one for the first time.

Oh cool, a tail fin
Refrain from inserting a hundred photos taken of randomness; because I could, and because I was bored.

Hello Mr. Not-Fancy Pants Photographer with a Press Pass. I’m taakkiinnnggg your piccctttuuurreee.

Wait. Scooter Man with Guitar? HAS ANYONE CHECKED TO MAKE SURE THAT’S NOT A SAWED OFF SHOTGUN? Because who rides a scooter to the airport?

A bunch of cars
See those teeny-tiny lights over the building? That would be the presidential motorcade. Which JB saw in traffic on his way to pick up Z from preschool. 30 feet away. Did he take a picture with his smart phone? Nnooooo….. *sob*

Finally, I see the end of my own boredom, when what do I hear from down below? From a tiny voice that is now wrapped in his coat, and my jacket, and using my purse as a blanket?

Mommy, I really have to pee

Y’all. I looked at him and thought– just for a second–

how bad would it be to let him just wet his pants?

Then I shook off asshole-mom– because what mom would do that?– and took the child to the bathroom.

And still made it out in time to see Air Force One taxi down the runway.

I can’t help it– every time I see one of them I start singing “here come the men in black”.

Then a little field trip over to General Aviation, because the motorcade vehicles roll separate plane, y’all. Of course, I kept calling this a C-130, which it’s not. Thank google for the correction– U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III .

It’s like watching a tiny fish swim past an orca.

I’m not sure how this random family got a tour of the plane, but having your picture taken by the pilot of this massive beast kicks ass!

This plane has nothing to do with anything, but I love how the picture turned out, so here ya go.

Here’s My Sign

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Scattermom

I waited too long to get a sign for voting AGAINST the marriage amendment. Though the fact that I’m finding it difficult seems to be– if you’ll pardon the groan– a good sign.

Since we read a lot (and I mean A LOT) of Dr. Suess, I got all poem-y again.

A sign? Look–a sign!
To all of you, from all of mine.

Celebrate happy families of any combination.
Married. Single. Gay. Straight. Cohabitation.

No insurance coverage for birth control? Demands from Church to be apart from State?
Well back at ya– no Constitutional Amendment for legislated hate.

****“Checkmate”****

Learn to accept and live with your fellow (wo)man.
May 8th: VOTE AGAINST THE MARRIAGE BAN!

Of course, all that wouldn’t fit. Heck, even the modified version barely fit. And look– I discovered yet another non-talent to add to my list: sign making. Dude. I even had a stencil. Sad.

But then–huzzah– I found out they got more signs. Here’s to hoping I can get my hands on one tonight. Otherwise, I’ll be sporting this in the yard.

Scattermom

Continual Distraction for a Scattered Mind

Category Archives: Politically Motivated