Let Me Introduce Myself and Our Democratic Republic

Dec6 by Timber

Hello all! My name is Timber Venard and I received the honor of becoming a contributing writer with “From Eternity to Here.” I feel very blessed for this opportunity and I hope that you will enjoy what I write. Thank you, Greg!

My blogs tend to be a little tongue-in-cheek, but I like to sandwich good information with humor and sarcasm. There really IS a point to the things that I write. So, bear with me on the journey and let’s see where this takes us!

I was born into a Christian family. Let me restate that: I am a preacher’s kid! Oh, my poor parents were screwed from the get go! I wasn’t a bad kid, but yes, I am gay. And we all knew it from a pretty early age. Although, that brought its own trials and tribulations over the years. Perhaps, someday I will tell you about them all!

I am a HUGE activist for the LGBT community regarding equal rights and marriage equality. I am hoping to use my superpowers (my writing skills, of course) for good! But, occasionally there is wickedness/evil that shows up in my editorials (insert evil laugh here). I also run my own VERY small blog called, Timber’s Morning Coffee. If have have the time, or the inclination, please check it out!

So, for our first topic of discussion, Democracy, our rights and our responsibilities.

We think that because we live in a democratic republic (notice I didn’t say, “Democracy”), we assume that everything changes simply because of a vote. This isn’t quite the truth. I recently read an article in Advocate Magazine regarding the comparison of civil rights work in China vs. the United States.

In some foreign countries, they believe that we have so many more freedoms and that they are all granted by the government. In many ways, that’s very true, but in other ways, that is completely false, and we have fallen into the same trap of believing that we are going to get whatever we want, simply by saying so.

President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the 1964 Civil Rights Act as Martin Luther King, Jr., and others, look on. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

WAKE UP!!! Yes, there was a good coup for LGBT civil rights in this last election, but it doesn’t stop there. All of the rest of the States and the Federal Government still have plenty of work to do in recognizing the equality of LGBT people. And, where does this start?

With you. With your voice. Knocking on doors, making phone calls, writing letters/blogs. Being visible in the community.

You see, we can’t just vote in our own civil rights. The point of a democratic republic is that we elect representatives to vote FOR us. This means, as our representatives, they need to listen to their constituency. Although, that’s not a guarantee that they will.

At this point, it is going to take thousands of little victories in order to gain the BIG ONE! Each city that passes a non-discrimination ordinance (C’mon, Helena!!) is a step in the direction of equal rights. If we can look back to the racial civil rights, look at what a slow process that was. It didn’t just happen over night. From the Emancipation Proclamation to the first desegregated schools it took well over 100 years.

Because of information technology, some of these things can happen faster than before, but it’s still going to take the same amount of work on our (the average citizen’s) part.

I, for one, have a good (choke. . .republican) friend in the Montana Legislature. He has slowly been changing his views on civil rights for the LGBT community because he has gotten to know me and my partner. We are real people to him. And yes, he and I will be having several discussions regarding our views on civil rights. I may not sway him, but perhaps I can get him to think and maybe even compromise.

That’s the point. We are not going to win the battle in one fell swoop. We are going to win it one heart and one mind at a time. Settle in, kids. It’s going to be a bumpy ride, but it will definitely be worth it!! And, if you don’t get involved, how are things ever going to change? But, if you DO get involved, then we will send you a plaque and a voucher for a toaster oven! (I’m shooting for the cruise!)

Not really, but you WILL get to say that you were in the forefront of changing American History. How often do we get to say that we were a part of making history? Usually for me, it’s just making things covered in glitter and feathers and although some of those things are EPIC and should be in a museum, they don’t further my equality as a human being!

LGBT Post-Election Analysis on Critical Thinking [VIDEO] (bilerico.com)
Catholic Bishops Suddenly Silent as LGBT Ugandans Face Possible Death (bilerico.com)

SaltLake Tribune Endorses Obama

Oct19 by D Gregory Smith

…and in one of the most comprehensively reasoned endorsements I’ve seen in a long time. Money quote:

“In considering which candidate to endorse, The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board had hoped that Romney would exhibit the same talents for organization, pragmatic problem solving and inspired leadership that he displayed here more than a decade ago. Instead, we have watched him morph into a friend of the far right, then tack toward the center with breathtaking aplomb. Through a pair of presidential debates, Romney’s domestic agenda remains bereft of detail and worthy of mistrust.

Therefore, our endorsement must go to the incumbent, a competent leader who, against tough odds, has guided the country through catastrophe and set a course that, while rocky, is pointing toward a brighter day. The president has earned a second term. Romney, in whatever guise, does not deserve a first.”

Read it all here.

It’s good.

Salt Lake Tribune throws support behind Obama (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
In a Devastating Turn for Romney, Swing State and Home State Papers Endorse Obama (politicususa.com)
Obama racks up newspaper endorsements (thehill.com)

Olympic Awareness

Jul31 by D Gregory Smith

From AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Facebook page:

I love that they’re different sizes…

The Right To Kill 2

Jul21 by D Gregory Smith

After the Gabrielle Giffords shooting, I wrote a piece called The Right To Kill.

I basically said that the insanity of “rights” over the safety of human life has come home to roost. The events in Aurora, preceded by shootings in Tulsa, Seattle, Oakland, Chardon, have brought a little attention to the deadliest shooting crimes in U.S. history– and the world ranking of the United States in terms of gun-related murders (4th highest). Nothing is changing. In fact, it’s probably just getting worse. Joe the Plumber blamed the holocaust on gun control. The American Family Association blames the murders on “liberal churches“- I know- I couldn’t believe it either. Except that I do. Any tragedy to bring the collection money rolling in is fair game for crazy pastors.

And that’s the problem. Crazy people who act out in public seem to give permission to crazy people in charge of congregations and political positions permission to act out, too. To act out with ideology front and center. Not compassion, ideology. And fear. Like I said, crazy. And people believe them. Instead of statistics. Instead of science. Instead of facts.

Roger Ebert, writing for the New York Times, has one of the most eloquent summaries of the Aurora shooting that I’ve read so far. From We’ve Seen This Movie Before:

That James Holmes is insane, few may doubt. Our gun laws are also insane, but many refuse to make the connection. The United States is one of few developed nations that accepts the notion of firearms in public hands. In theory, the citizenry needs to defend itself. Not a single person at the Aurora, Colo., theater shot back, but the theory will still be defended.

I was sitting in a Chicago bar one night with my friend McHugh when a guy from down the street came in and let us see that he was packing heat.

“Why do you need to carry a gun?” McHugh asked him.

“I live in a dangerous neighborhood.”

“It would be safer if you moved.”

This would be an excellent time for our political parties to join together in calling for restrictions on the sale and possession of deadly weapons. That is unlikely, because the issue has become so closely linked to paranoid fantasies about a federal takeover of personal liberties that many politicians feel they cannot afford to advocate gun control.

I’ve no doubt that posturing will constipate any real discussion of this issue- but Ebert adds a final, jarring note to his piece:

Immediately after a shooting last month in the food court of the Eaton Centre mall in Toronto, a young woman named Jessica Ghawi posted a blog entry. Three minutes before a gunman opened fire, she had been seated at the exact place he fired from.

“I was shown how fragile life was,” she wrote. “I saw the terror on bystanders’ faces. I saw the victims of a senseless crime. I saw lives change. I was reminded that we don’t know when or where our time on Earth will end. When or where we will breathe our last breath.”

This same woman was one of the fatalities at the midnight screening in Aurora. The circle of madness is closing.

Indeed. And it’s closing in on all of us.

Why Gun Control Is So Contentious In The U.S. (LiveScience)
Toronto shooting victim’s grandfather pleads for witnesses (cbc.ca)
Joe the Plumber releases ad blaming gun control for the Holocaust (dailykos.com)
We are insane if we sign the UN “Arms Trade” gun control treaty (fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com)
Republican blames Holocaust on Germany’s gun control laws (thejc.com)
Debunking The Fast & Furious Gun Control Conspiracy (outsidethebeltway.com)
Former Giffords aide wins election to finish her term (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)

Hope

Jul20 by D Gregory Smith

10 Things Most Americans Don’t Know About America

Jul17 by D Gregory Smith

Mark Manson gives some perspective to our sometimes myopic view of the United States:

Imagine you have a brother and he’s an alcoholic. He has his moments, but you keep your distance from him. You don’t mind him for the occasional family gathering or holiday. You still love him. But you don’t want to be around him.

This is how I lovingly describe my current relationship with the United States. The United States is my alcoholic brother. And although I will always love him, I don’t want to be near him at the moment.

I know that’s harsh, but I really feel my home country is not in a good place these days. That’s not a socio-economic statement (although that’s on the decline as well), but rather a cultural one.

I realize it’s going to be impossible to write sentences like the ones above without coming across as a raging prick, so let me try to soften the blow to my American readers with an analogy:

You know when you move out of your parents’ house and live on your own, how you start hanging out with your friends’ families and you realize that actually, your family was a little screwed up? Stuff you always assumed was normal your entire childhood, it turns out was pretty weird and may have actually fucked you up a little bit. You know, dad thinking it was funny to wear a Santa Claus hat in his underwear every Christmas or the fact that you and your sister slept in the same bed until you were 22, or that your mother routinely cried over a bottle of wine while listening to Elton John.

The point is we don’t really get perspective on what’s close to us until we spend time away from it. Just like you didn’t realize the weird quirks and nuances of your family until you left and spent time with others, the same is true for country and culture. You often don’t see what’s messed up about your country and culture until you step outside of it.

Some of this may not be easy reading, but the perspective is accurate for many- I strongly encourage you to read the rest here.

10 Things Most Americans Don’t Know About America (postmasculine.com)

Coming Out

Jul3 by D Gregory Smith

Here’s to Anderson Cooper, who so eloquently came out as a gay man yesterday.

“…I’ve begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle. It’s become clear to me that by remaining silent on certain aspects of my personal life for so long, I have given some the mistaken impression that I am trying to hide something – something that makes me uncomfortable, ashamed or even afraid. This is distressing because it is simply not true.

I’ve also been reminded recently that while as a society we are moving toward greater inclusion and equality for all people, the tide of history only advances when people make themselves fully visible. There continue to be far too many incidences of bullying of young people, as well as discrimination and violence against people of all ages, based on their sexual orientation, and I believe there is value in making clear where I stand.

The fact is, I’m gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud.”

Being who you are is never a reason for shame. It can be, however, a reason for caution. It’s not always safe to be who you are- and everyone gets to make that call for themselves. For all the kids out there who may not yet be fully able to be themselves: Be patient, be gentle with yourselves and quietly gather supportive and loving people around you. Your day will come.

Who was St Patrick?

Mar17 by D Gregory Smith

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

If you feel like you need a little brush-up on (one of) Ireland’s patron saint(s), check this out.

If you want a somewhat controversial take on St. Patrick, go here.

And if you want to know some interesting Irish Fun Facts, go here.

And yes, I’m mostly Irish. And yes I have pride in my heritage, but I’m not much of a fan of public drunken brawling and slurring. I find myself agreeing with Frank Delaney’s take on celebration of St Patrick’s Day…”Drowning The Shamrock”.

Sigh.

Here’s a picture of me in Ireland in 2007:

Dursey Island

St Patrick’s Day explained…and there’s no Guinness involved. (islandfairy.wordpress.com)
What is St. Patrick’s Day? (faithfulprovisions.com)
St Patrick’s Day (frstephensmuts.wordpress.com)

Still time To Register! Young Men’s Retreat

Mar16 by D Gregory Smith

An awesome opportunity for young gay/bi men in Montana to feel less isolated, learn about themselves, talk frankly about life and make some friends!

Click pic for registration link.

“Conservatives Plot To Roll Back LGBT Protections”

Mar6 by D Gregory Smith

That’s the headline of the article in The American Independent that talks about how religious conservatives are moving to eliminate equal protection ordinances in several states, and – you guessed it- Montana is prominently featured.

Under the radar and with clever wording, social conservatives in several states are trying to make it illegal for local communities to protect their LGBT citizens from discrimination in housing and employment. And they hope that by not explicitly mentioning “sexual orientation” in the legislation, judges may let the proposed laws stand where they otherwise would be unconstitutional.

Currently, 21 states and the District of Columbia have laws that ban discrimination in housing and employment with respect to either sexual orientation or gender identity or both. In other states, it is perfectly legal to fire someone for being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, or to deny them housing. As a result, many local communities have taken steps to fix that inequity through nondiscrimination ordinances of their own.

The Human Rights Campaign estimates that more than 160 communities have enacted comprehensive anti-discrimination laws, and dozens more have enacted incomplete ordinances that leave out the transgender community or that only provide limited protections.

But under proposals by Republicans in several states, such ordinances in Lawrence, Kans., Missoula, Mont., and Kalamazoo, Mich., would be illegal.

Bills in Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Michigan would bar local governments from enacting laws that prevent discrimination against any group not already covered by that state’s own nondiscrimination laws. Montana’s House passed a similar bill last year, but it died in the Senate.

The article gives some extensive space to the 2011 Montana Legislature’s anti-gay rodeo. Crazy Montana pastor and part-time fugitive Harris Himes even warrants a mention:

It was the testimony of Pastor Harris Himes that demonstrated further anti-LGBT bias behind the bill. He’s pastor of the Big Sky Christian Center in Missoula who also serves as the head of the Montana Eagle Forum, an affiliate of Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum.

“There are those of us who would not wish to rent to gay and lesbian people for religious reasons and we should be allowed to do that,” he said adding that he supported the bill and opposed Missoula’s ordinance. “It’s going to be a situation that would force churches to bring in people to do Sunday school, these homosexuals… [Himes was cut off by the chair for deviating from the topic].”

Rep. Diane Sands, a Democrat from Missoula, grilled Himes. “My question for you today is: You feel that [religious people] should be able to discriminate against LGBT if they will? What are those religious reasons for which gay people should be discriminated against?”

Himes responded, “They should be able to discriminate. They should be able to choose to whom they rent based on religious reasons, that goes to employment, that goes to Sunday school, that goes to all of those issues. And likewise, the religious reason is… it is God himself that says homosexuality is an abomination and he has various punishments for that too.”

Sands followed up, “What are those punishments?”

Himes answered, “The punishment in Leviticus 20:13 is this: If a man lies with a man like a women, they shall surely be put to death. That’s the punishment.”

Read the entire article– it has many salient points about how some conservatives are aiming for LGBT rights specifically as “anti-Christian”- there’s more on Montana, too.