The younger Graham has made several judgements on the Obama administration.  Sounding more like a politician than a preacher, Graham made his latest comments on a recent episode of “Morning Joe” on cable network MSNBC.  He was there to discuss GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum”s comments on the “theology” of President Obama, saying that the President is a threat to religious freedom.  Graham was asked if the President is a Christian, “You have to ask him. I cannot answer that question for anybody. All I know is I’m a sinner, and that God has forgiven me of my sins,” Graham said. “You have to ask every person. He has said he’s a Christian, so I just have to assume that he is.” when asked the same question about Santorum he did not hesitate with his answer, “His values are so clear on moral issues, no question about it.”  Graham hinted that President Obama may be more Muslim than Christian, because Islam has gotten a “free pass” under Obama. Graham also said the Muslim world sees Obama as a “son of Islam,” because the president’s father and grandfather were Muslim.  The link to the full interview is on MSNBC.com it lasts about 15 minutes and is interesting viewing.

This is not the first time that Graham has questioned the President’s religious beliefs, on August 19, 2010, when asked by CNN correspondent John King if he had doubts that President Barack Obama is a Christian, Graham stated, “I think the president’s problem is that he was born a Muslim, his father was a Muslim. The seed of Islam is passed through the father like the seed of Judaism is passed through the mother. He was born a Muslim, his father gave him an Islamic name.” Franklin continues to say, “Now it’s obvious that the president has renounced the prophet Mohammed, and he has renounced Islam, and he has accepted Jesus Christ. That’s what he says he has done. I cannot say that he hasn’t. So I just have to believe that the president is what he has said.”  In a March 2011 interview with the conservative internet publication Newsmax, Graham claimed that Obama had “allowed the Muslim Brotherhood to become part of the US government and influence administration decisions.”

In the “Morning Joe” interview when asked if Mitt Romney was a Christian Franklin pointed out that he is a Mormon and many Christians view Mormonism as a cult, but he would not say what his views are.  Billy Graham may be his father but Franklin has lessons to learn on keeping politics out of the pulpit.  If we have learned anything from the past two elections, it’s that politicians are not above stooping so low as to question not only a candidate being born in this country but also what he believes.  There was a time where politicians ran on their records, not on whether they could run a corporation or have a successful Olympic games.  Theology was always best left to the theologians (usually the Jesuits), who have been educated in such matters; maybe its time for politicians to be educated on how to run a campaign that focuses on issues and preachers on how to keep politics out of religion?

This is not the case of a politico caught with (pardon the expression) his pants around his ankles, it is a case of a politician who was caught with his pants around his ankles and made threats against an ex, threats he could not carry out but were made with enough power to cause the person threatened to believe they could happen and not just to him but his other family members in this country.  With the major Republican players heading to Arizona next week for their primary what will their reaction be, probably they will do as they have this entire campaign – blame it on Obama.  Hopefully they will tone down their opposition to gays in the military and same – sex marriage because  one of their own had to come out and admit they didn’t ask and he didn’t tell and his quote on relationships goes against their opposition to same-sex marriage “that is not who we are as Americans.”  Now we just need a reporter with guts to ask the right questions at the Arizona debate.

I believe that every LGBT person is entitled to live their lives either out or in of the closet, as long as it does not hurt another person.  I said it before this is an abuse of power and Babeu becomes the second Arizona Republican to abuse that power, a Republican legislator resigned after a public domestic violence  charge.  Many will say that the liberal media forced Babeu out of the closet and what a fine man he is and how they support him, now if they would only say that about the gay men and lesbian women who have had the courage to live openly for years.  But again, this is Arizona.

This is the same group that is thankful to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization for dropping funding of Planned Parenthood, they are upset that Macy’s used a picture of a wedding cake with two grooms on it in their catalog,  and they are against “Modern Family”.  They encourage their members to boycott, write and call corporations to protest anything those corporations do with groups that they don’t agree with (except Susan G. Komen for the Cure).  They are part of the American Family Association, a “Christian” organization that is anti-gay.  The “Moms” say they will not shop at a store that uses a “homosexual” to sell products to “traditional families”.  Ellen is also the spokesperson for Cover Girl make-up, and this group has been quiet about her role there, oh yeah they don’t wear makeup! And she has also pitched American Express card’s, but they don’t say anything about that.  I remember when growing up my “traditional” family always shopped for my clothes at J. C. Penney’s all my clothes had the Town-craft label.

I am getting fed up with the extremist Christians and their Republican Presidential candidates dictating to the rest of us on how we are supposed to live our lives, according to their rules.  Romney has said he is for the freedom of all Americans, then let us experience life, liberty and the pursuit of Justice just like other Americans.  We are not looking for gay marriage, we are just looking for marriage, the same as many other Americans.  When it comes to paying taxes, we do our fair share and don’t hide behind a lower rate than is afforded to low-income people.  When it comes to serving our Country, we have always been there, just not out in the open.  It is time for minorities in the Republican party to open their eyes and see they are not a party of inclusion, it is time for non-extreme Christians to open their eyes and see that God loves all of Creation and all members of the human family.  It is time for hate to stop, to stop trying to make us all the same, and to stop this kind of petty attack on a corporation who has the right to use whomever they want as a spokesperson.

So when you put on those clothes from a certain department store, apply some rouge from a cosmetic company, and pay the bill from a certain credit card company that you used to buy the stuff; remember Ellen told you to do it.

A lot of people have been disrespecting the Office of President lately, just last week the Boston Bruins were invited to the White House after winning the Stanly Cup, and their goalie Tim Thomas decided to stay home.  Thomas is a supporter of the Tea Party had this to say about the government…

“I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People. This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government. Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL. This is the only public statement I will be making on this topic. TT”

Yes, Thomas is entitled to his opinion, but the visit to the White House is one that every championship team makes, both at the College and Profession level.  To turn it into a political statement was unacceptable, he did not have to become best friends with the President and in snubbing him, Thomas proved he was not a team player.

There was a time in America that the Office of President was treated with Respect, you did not have to agree with his politics, but you had respect for the person who was in the office or had been in the office.  I remember that just after he left office Gerald Ford was playing in a golf tournament in Tucson and he met with the local press, I was in my first year as a radio reporter for KTKT and all my fellow reporters were asking him questions about his golf game.   I was the rookie reporter and getting a chance to ask a former President of the U.S. a question was so thrilling, I still remember my question to this day…”Mr. Ford, there is a Hispanic running for the Republican nomination for President.  If he does not make it to the nomination what has he done to bring Hispanics to your party?”  Gerald Ford looked at me, smiled and replied and the press conference was over.  I was gathering my equipment to leave and one of the deputy press secretaries came up to me and whispered in my ear, “Mr. Ford appreciated that you did not ask him about his golf game and had a good question for him.”

Even past Presidents deserve R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

I know that we have told them over and over that it gets better.

I think we should tell them the truth, life does have its bumps and there are moments where you feel like you don’t have a friend in the world, but it does get better.

It gets better because you don’t have to travel that road alone, there is family as well as, friends who have become family, to help you move forward.  Life does suck , but it does get better.   Even when you get to be my age, you think you have seen it all or heard it all and then WTF, you have to pause for a moment or two because you did not see that curve coming.

Living life as a person, there will always be someone, somewhere who does not like your hair, your clothes, the color of your skin, who you love and those people only think of themselves using words that hate throwing punches that hurt, or passing laws that restrict.  It’s all based on fear.  They can not envision a world where different is okay, where people come together to form a puzzle that answers many questions, to make a quilt that warms and provides comfort.

Recently a group of evangelical leaders endorsed Rick Santorum for the GOP Nomination, not because he has a sound fiscal plan, not because he will end all wars, not because he has a good foreign policy, no they endorsed him because their “top concerns going into this year’s presidential election include repealing President Obama’s health care overhaul, the national debt and abortion.”  They like other special interest groups have a specific agenda and will even go so far as to support a Catholic to achieve it.  What they fail to realize is that God has a seat for all at the table.  They are showing their fear of people who think about issues, who don’t follow blindly, and want to make a difference.

So young people should know that it does get better, we make it better because we work together, we trust those close to us, and we reach out.

Sometimes we have to remind ourselves of that, as well.

Our LGBT community was part of the March on Washington back in August, 1963, one of the key organizers Bayard Rustin was a gay man and there were many gay men and women marching that day.

Next year marks the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington and there does not appear to be unity between the two communities that joined together back in August, 1963.  Some African-American religious leaders have taken a stand against same-sex marriage not seeing this as a civil rights struggle, where a group of people are not being allowed access to equal rights, to marry the person the love because they are the same-sex.  It wasn’t so long ago that people were not allowed to marry because of the color of their skin.

Every year the rhetorical question is asked “How would Dr. King react to gay people?“  Many people try to answer that question, which of course only Dr.  King knew.  The closest person to him was Coretta Scott King and her thought was that he would not be against inclusion for LGBT people…

Coretta Scott King: “make room at the table for lesbian and gay people.”
“My husband, Martin Luther King Jr., once said, ‘We are all tied together in a single garment of destiny… an inescapable network of mutuality,… I can never be what I ought to be until you are allowed to be what you ought to be.’ Therefore, I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream to make room at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people.

Gays and lesbians stood up for civil rights in Montgomery, Selma, in Albany, Ga. and St. Augustine, Fla., and many other campaigns of the Civil Rights Movement. Many of these courageous men and women were fighting for my freedom at a time when they could find few voices for their own, and I salute their contributions.”

Coretta Scott King, speaking at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s Creating Change Conference on November 9, 2000.

His daughter Bernice King disagrees, she has been part of the movement to establish a national ban on same-sex marriage even leading a march to her Father’s grave in support of that movement.

Only Dr. King knew his feelings, his words give us an idea that he believed people should have a dream, as my friend Robbynne reminds us every year…

“I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.”

He believed in freedom and justice for all, equality for all and that no one should judge another.  Hopefully that Dream will come true for all.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is charged with keeping the way we travel safe and we often hear on the nightly news programs of what measures they have taken to do that.  In fact here is a list of what the TSA has done right, their top ten catches of 2011.  Over the Christmas holidays a family was traveling from Boston to Las Vegas and the Mother had two cupcakes that her students had given her.  The cupcakes were in Mason Jars and the TSA had no problem with them in Boston, however when they tried to board their return flight that was not the case.  In Las Vegas the lone remaining cake was confiscated, she had eaten the other one on the first trip.  The TSA agent felt that the gel frosting was a risk to the flight.  Just yesterday (Jan. 10) the TSA officially confirmed that the security representative had done the right thing.  The cupcake in question was a Red Velvet cupcake, and no I was not the TSA representative.  I pay for my red velvet cupcakes.

I love red velvet cupcakes, I have ever since I saw Steel Magnolias for the first time and it featured a red velvet cake in the shape of an armadillo.  That scene and the line about the cake just tickled me to no end.  I quote it when ever I have a red velvet cupcake or any other red velvet flavored product (most recently yogurt). The recipe that I linked to is from Paula Deen so don’t go and make a dozen or so and take them to an airport, well I guess that would be okay as long as they are not in glass jars.  But if you do remember to use lots of butter, as Paula always reminds us you can never go overboard on the butter.

Now in fairness to the TSA they do stop a lot of materials from being boarded just two years ago on a trip to the Mexican Riviera they took away my sun screen, shaving lotion, and other toiletries from my carry on.  I thought if they were brand new they were okay, there is something about the size matters and bigger is not better.  They did let me keep my shaving cream for my head since it was unopened and I bought bottles in the airport and transferred one big bottle into three smaller ones.  I now pack my travel kit in my checked luggage.  As I watched the TSA Representative pitch my product from the 99¢ Store into a trash bin I wondered if they would be rescued at the end of the day and shared among  the security guards.  As for the red velvet cupcake I wouldn’t be surprised if that ended up breaking someone’s diet.

This is not an isolated action by the RC in Minnesota there is a move by the Archdiocese to have a ballot measure put in place a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman and the Archbishop  has gone as far as advising the priests who report to him to support the movement and, not to speak against it.  Maybe the outrage will come from the Nuns of the Archdiocese because they have often been known to be thorns in the sides of Bishops.  And recently Chicago’s Archbishop complained about that city’s Gay Pride parade and then ended up eating his words.

What has happened to the Catholic Church to make it almost Fundamentalist in it point of view?  I remember when I was a Catholic they strongly avoided any political position and preferred to side with the oppressed.  With the United Farm Workers during the boycotts of grapes and lettuce, with the activists who opposed war in Vietnam, and with those who opposed nuclear plants and bases.  Now they oppose the use of St. Francis as a Patron of Ecology and people who want to express their love for the person who has captured their heart.

The Vatican was unusually quiet about the recent announcement that one of the Auxiliary Bishops of Los Angeles had been married for years and fathered two children now teenagers.  U.S. Catholic.com offered this mea culpa  ” We can be grateful that the relationship that produced LA auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala’s two children was apparently a consensual one between adults.”  The Archdiocese announced they would be paying for the education of Zavala’s children, yet when victims of non-consensual relationships between priests and children come forward, they are not as generous with the church’s funds.  The RC, other religions, and fundamentalists  need to take an honest look at WWJD? and the image they are giving and see that they are out of step, before they run of people in the pews.

“This bill clarifies that the policy may not be construed or interpreted to infringe upon the First Amendment rights of students and may not prohibit their expression of religious, philosophical, or political views as long as such expression does not include a threat of physical harm to a student or of damage to a student’s property.”

If this bill passes it would be legal to bully in the Name of God.  So called “Christian” bullies would not only be able to harass LGBTQ youth but anyone who does not agree with their religious, philosophical, or political views.  That leaves a lot of people unprotected in the halls of schools in Tennessee.  There are a lot of groups that would be left standing alone under those “guidelines.”  The authors of the Constitution would be astonished on how their document has been used to promote hate and quoted out of context as needed by special interest groups.

The First Amendment reads…

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

Since when is spewing hate in the Name of God freedom of speech or establishing religion?  People will always believe what they want to believe and nothing will ever change that.  It is the duty of government to protect its citizens and afford them the rights acknowledged in the Declaration of Independence “…that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  This applies to women and children as well.

For Tennessee lawmakers to consider this law is giving new freedom to hate and that was something that God did not decree, no matter how hard “Christians” want to believe that.