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Thom, today (Thursday, Nov. 15), you spoke with a caller about whether gay people are born that way, and I would like to weigh in on that issue. I tend to favor the "Who knows?" position.
I think at least part of the reason gay people say they were born that way, is because they would just like people to get over it and accept them without trying to change them or thinking that they need to change or making ugly hypocritical religious judgments.
From the systems analysis viewpoint, it's obvious that humanity benefits from and needs people who "aren't like most people," because very often it is those people who make extremely important observations and other contributions to humanity and quite often they get those observations and other contributions specifically because they are different from most people, because their brains are wired a bit differently and/or because of the experiences they have had with respect to being different from most people. Being "on humanity's fringe," energetically speaking, they may catch important incoming ideas and energies before most other people do. So I think we should respect gays not only for their humanity, but also because humanity needs them. Without gays, humanity would be less than it is.
That being said, I would like to comment on an issue that I almost never hear raised in this conversation: the tens of thousands of chemical pollutants in our air, water, food, clothing, houses, and consumer products. Many of those chemicals are pseudo female hormones, they attach to certain receptors in peoples' brains, organs, or glands, and cause specific, predictably physical effects. When Chas Bono decided to get a sex change, he started taking chemicals that caused his body to stop thinking it was female and start thinking it was male, resulting in him growing a beard and developing other male sexual characteristics. A number of chemical pollutants have similar effects in terms of causing boys to develop more feminine physical characteristics, and that cause girls to develop sexually at earlier and earlier ages. Fetuses are exposed to those pseudo-sex-hormone chemicals while they are in the womb, from their mothers' breast milk, from cows milk when the cows are not organic grass fed, from foods that were treated with many kinds of pseudo-female hormone insecticides, in some non-filtered water supplies, shampoos that contain tea tree oil or lavender oil or other essential oils that mimic female hormones. Why, the list is as long as as Pinochio's nose would be if he was a republican...
But in spite of the clearly-demonstrated effects of many toxic chemicals on sexual characteristics in animals, fish, and people, chemicals can't be the only contributing factor, because there were gay people long before we started polluting our planet, and also many people are exposed to pretty much the same amounts of the same chemicals, but only some of them are gay. So there is an undeniable element of uncertainty in the discussion of possible contributing factors.
There is no uncertainty about the republicans' twisted interpretation of the Old Testament, which they claim says, "Yea and forsooth, If you don't feel comfortable around someone, you should scour the Bible for excuses to hate them and ignore the parts of the Bible that preach tolerance and love."
Personally, I like the part of the Bible where Jesus basically says, "Hey, be nice to each other," although I do have the weakness of enjoying poking republicans.
YUP!
Corporations really believed that they could takeover the world and have not given it up as yet. Bilderberg, TPP, the New Right of Paul Weyrich and their 2000+ republican politicians!! When the American people wake up and realize that they are NOT republicans but the New Right, we will all have a better understanding of what they are doing to this country! Weyrich's ideology (which they all follow to the letter) is Theocracy/Oligarchy and includes dominionism of the Liberterian Party. They have had 40 yrs (since Reagan) to infiltrate and slowly change our laws to their corporate benefit. The battle is not over because Obama won....it has just begun!! We Must continue to erode their influence and laws! Let them think what they want; but, it is Corporations that are the entitled and receive the "gifts" and do NOT pay their fair share. Right NOW...Europe is in the streets fighting their Austerity Agenda and our news will not share that information with us. Right NOW, we must remember that they are speaking up enmasse while we argue about semantics and their outlandish lies. Right NOW, we must continue the movement to restore Democracy and our rights!
If the state law is OK with it, then I think he should be give the opportunity to do a recount in his district. But he should have to pay the cost of the recount.
WOW! edgy!lol can't wait to read some more later, but to the point yet again? I sure some "real" third world country would love to have the "Rands" buy up some parcel of land then they can all leave and tak the succesion ilk with them but in the meantime the question everyone should be asking is when will we arrive at "equal" taxation? its not rocket science and i will reitterate over and over again, it is not remotely fair that 100k of taxable income should only have to pay $2,800 and 84k of taxable income should have to pay $13,000. Imagine if every working stiff in America was actually clued in on it and understood just what type of srcew job we do get! And as i walked out of work last night all that echoed in my head was Mr. Buffet and his comments about the issue in respect to his secratary paying more then him...GET IT?
Sister, The Good Book pleads for a just, moral, loving world, with one caveat. We are free to choose our own course.
We are free to be good or bad, to love or hate, to use foul language, or to raise ourselves to a more perfect state.
We are also free to read or not read the Bible or any other book, free to believe in or not, the stories passed down from our ancestors.
Politics, on the other hand, forces people into mandatory obeyance to Temporal Powers.
Never the twain shall meet, for when world consciousness is raised, we will not need Leaders, just Administrators. We will know what is right and just, which is good eats for all, a solid home, the end of disease, and "real dressy clothes for the whole family."
Oh Happy Day.
- quote from Ezekiel a story of early Florida celery pickers.
If he had any, he would have said so, don't you think?
What gift did Barak give away for free? Finally, he has people paying for the free healthcare they used to get in the ER.
Do you have evidence, history or logic to support what you say?
What does the state law say? Do that.
The Democratic party should take the high road and give him the recount he wants. Then, when he loses, really rub his face in it.
Just because God and Jesus said it sure doesn't make it right. (Right, right-wingers?) ;-)
And you wonder why California is going broke and will declare bankruptcy with in two years. Fantasy land on steroids.
CA progressives think we need specific changes. Universal healthcare to be declared a human right with medi-care the single payer provider. Until then our politicians should pay for their own insurance on the "free market" they gave us. Take a pay cut from all high end govt. workers including legislators with a 5 year pay freeze. This to allow the private sector to catch up. Enact a moratorium on overtime with tax credits for new hire. Allow a 4 day work week for all high stress first responders and law enforcement with a 3 day alternate shift with a liveable wage. Increase the minimum wage. Build water and energy efficient homes for single families to own. Declare all classroom size to be 20 or less. We want specific solutions to problems. Everything else is more BS. We do not like how the politicians are pushing to raise the limit on the tax increase from $250,000 to $450,000. This is a sellout for personal financial interests.
they didn't do it for Al Gore,so let him take it to the supreme crt.maybe they'll just declare him the winner because to do otherwise would do him "irrepairable harm"!!go home mr. West you brought it on yourself!
I'm African American, married for 16 years, no children, both me and my husband work, pay property and income taxes every year. I don't think people are looking for a hand out but a hand up. For all of my bible thumping Christians please read Proverbs 19:17: He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. Then cross reference: Matthew 25:40, Luke 6:38, Hewbrews 6:10, Deuteronomy 15:8, Proverbs 14:21, Proverbs 14:31, Proverbs 22:9, Proverbs 28:27, Ecclesiastes 11:2.
Mr. West should realize that his time is done, his job performance with substandard, caring for the transnational corporations and towards fascism instead of America’s working families and the common good
Is it too late to charge him in court martial proceedings?
I consider continuing tax breaks for the rich a pretty nice gift. Isn't that what Romney was running on?
BIG MONEY RULES THE USA. Why is it that the big money boys get away with putting it to the rest of us all the time. It is because they do not suffer any or many consequences that hurt them.
We need to find a way to even the playing field. For example, Olive Garden and many others are going to make more of their full-time employees part-timers in protest of Obamacare. We need to bring about consequences that will hurt them. We may as individuals stop going to Olive Garden etc. but that is not enough.
We need more organized and effective ways to boycott these people.
We need to realize that the marketplace and natural resources of this country belong to the people of this country and not the multinationals who scavenge the world for cheap labor while outsourcing our jobs and putting their profits in offshore accounts and avoiding US taxes. IT IS OUR MARKETPLACE BUT WE NEED TO TAKE CHARGE AND MAKE IT WORK FOR US ALL, NOT JUST THE BILLIONAIRES.
Our motto needs to be "IF YOU WANT TO SELL IT IN THE USA THEN YOU MAKE IT IN THE USA"
It is almost impossible to find anything made in America anymore. I am sick and tired of going to stores like Macy's and seeing them charge $40 - $50 for an iitem that could easily be made by workers in this country and still provide a profit for the manufacturers and sales outlets. We have to start charging some form of tariffs that make it cheaper to manufacture items in the USA. Most countries do that to protect their workers but our government has been bought and paid for by politicians who protect these importers from legislation that would legislate tariffs just like Japan, Germany, UK, France, Switzerland and many other countries. They are practicing self-preservation and we need to do the same unless we want to end up as a third world country which is the way we are rapidly heading.
Many of us have investments in things like mutual funds but we may be indirectly investing in companies that are subverting our economy. We need to find a way to be more informed so we can invest in America and our own people.
The question is how do we get organized to do these things to take care of America and our workers.
FISA = Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax is a United States Federal payroll (or employment) tax imposed on both employees and employers to fund Social Security ...
Sorry Thom that election was no where close to a landslide.
And furthermore, it is up to the leaders to point out to the masses that if you want us to provide all these wonderful things, you need to pay for them also. And if you don't pay for them, we can't give them to you. And no, those evil rich people do not have enough money to float all these wonderful programs, you'll have to hit up the middle class for more tax dollars to make ends meet. But we all know that won't happen, Santa Claus (aka Barak Obama) gives out gifts for free! What a guy!
Don't think so Thom, if they built that Ayn Rand utopia who would be left to pay for all your socialist, progressive demands? I think Hollywood would collapse under the pressure.
The only change that should be made to Social Security is eliminating the earnings cap. That would ensure the program's solvency in perpetuity.
Balanced? Medicare and social security are the least we can do for working people who pay for it out of their meager earnings! If you want to talk about medicare for all and raising social security that would be a big step towards "balanced"! Maybe when average earnings jump even by half of what they have for CEO's in the last ten years we can start to approach "balanced?! But not untill the banksters, warmongers, billionaires and hundred millionaires have paid down the deficit they created. Balanced? As long as there is a single hungry child, how about a 95% tax rate on earnings above $10 million? That would encourage investment. And now that wealthy people have extracted the majority of the wealth from we the people can we please tax capital gains at a rate at least as high as we tax people who actually work for a living?