O-R-L-A-N-D-O. Find out what it means to me.

People standing outside Pulse during attack, Orlando, Florida

The names are being read. The final text messages from people trapped in a nightclub are being made public. This is what happens after a mass murder… and once again, I find myself sitting back as a mother, aching inside for what the families and loved ones of these victims are feeling. With Sandy Hook, I was heartbroken for those victims, for their families and for society. That has been my response to most of these shootings… because honestly they all start to blend into one for the observer. How very sad is that. Most of those shootings/bombings were carried out by very disturbed, misguided people who had access to guns. They were done by men filled with rage, misplaced rage.

Pastor Steven Anderson. If this doesn't scare you,

then nothing will.

This shooting made me mad. Actually, ‘mad’ doesn’t come close to what I felt inside that first day. Yes, this was again someone who clearly had mental health issues, but it was the result of absolute hate. This hate, over the last six months, has moved from the back burner where it has been smoldering for the last decades. Newly unleashed by political and religious machines, hate is modeled every damned day for us on television. Religious people stand on their pulpits decrying women, calling for the execution of gay people, damning and instilling abject fear of those who practice other religions. They demand freedom of speech, freedom to practice their religion, but they refuse to respect those rights in others. How can you preach the word of any God while not modeling respect for others… all others?

We have political people, screaming about the need to control women and what they do. They cheer when people are thrown out of rallies. They make open, blatant statements of what is wrong with other people, while offering absolutely no solutions to help anyone. They hide their nefarious activities required to do whatever they have to in order to obtain and/or maintain their position of authority. They have sprinkled water and a whole lot of fertilizer on those little seeds of hate, saying that it is okay to harbor that hate, and to act on it in whatever way necessary. Ask any child. They see this on television – the bigotry, the hate, the thuggery… and the fact that respect has been lost for all.

Websites make hobbies out of shaming people. We laugh at the pictures of the poor people shopping at WalMart, and their less than fortunate choice of clothes, but we don’t stop to think that these people have no choice but to shop at WalMart, that they are for the most part the disenfranchised of society, and that they are forced to shop at a place that prides itself in paying such low wages, their own employees have to live on handouts from others. Yet this is okay? They are a good corporate citizen? Do these religious and political leaders give a damn about these people? There is no respect shown for the employees there, or for the people who shop there. They are less fortunate than we are; it sucks to be them.

Brock Turner, Rapist... No, we won't forget about you.

You're not off the hook yet.

How can we be surprised that a white boy can rape a young woman and, because of his whiteness, his athleticism, and his clean-cut appearance he gets nothing more than a slap on the wrist – then has the audacity to complain about his sentence. (Yeah, it’s the last part that really gets to me – the plea for pity for his misguided ’20 minutes of action.) If he had been black, or poor, or Muslim, would he have gotten that same sentence? Fuck no. Not a chance. Rape is about control, about power, authority at any cost… and is a lifelong sentence to the victim. When are we going to respect the victims enough to stop making it about them, and start to focus on the rapist? When are we going to start looking at the disparity in a system that treats white different than black, rich different than poor, Christian different than Muslim?

Machine Gun America... a theme park, no less, ironically

(or not) in Orlando Florida.

How can we be surprised when a young man goes into a club that he had frequented himself for some time, pulls out a gun and opens fire, killing 50 people, injuring 53 more, shattering countless thousands of lives? You cannot turn on the television anymore without someone telling you who to hate and why. Now they want this act to be considered religious terrorism because the man screamed out religious phrases as he carried out this heinous act. Lemme ask you this. If he had been Christian and was quoting Leviticus at the time of the shooting, would people still be calling for it to be a religious terrorist attack? They should. I would like to think they would, but I know better. If this slaughter had been done by a right-wing fundamentalist Christian, his religion would not be an issue.

The day after the shooting, after the anger had waned, I felt nothing. My soul felt like scorched earth, because something more happened this weekend. Like Brock Turner last week, like the San Bernardino shootings before, and Sandy Hook before that, and Columbine before that, the interest will fade. Politicians will block bills to make changes. Mental health issues will still be ignored. Donald Trump will still exude hate and bullying. Hillary Clinton will still defend her right to destroy government emails. The GOP will continue wringing their hands at the clusterfuck of a mess they have now found themselves with their extremist sellouts and because they chose to dance with the devil to make some points over the last 8 years. The Democrats will continue to play games with primary results and their convention in their determination to ensure that Hillary is on the ticket. Gay people will quietly step back, many of them looking at that closet door and wondering if that isn’t the wiser choice. Mothers will send their babies, be they 5 or 25, out the door, never to see them again because some other person with some other gun has been listening to the hate-filled, take no prisoners rhetoric that is spewed every day by religious, political and pundit figures.

Pro-Life? No, not at all. Pro-Birth. What happens after the

baby is born is absolutely no concern of theirs.

I am devoid of feeling, because we have long passed the tipping point, and that realization has nestled in my heart. There is one thing… one thing only… that is needed to fix all of this. It sounds so simple. It should be simple, but apparently it is unattainable. That one thing is respect. We need to show respect for others, for their political beliefs, their religion, their sexual choices, their life choices, and their problems. We need to start to take ownership of our global community, and that requires us to accept and respect each and every one of us. If you want freedom of religion, then you must allow others to enjoy that same freedom even if you do not share the same religious tenets. If you want to lead the country, you must show respect for the people you wish to lead – ALL of them. If you want to cover the news, you should do so respectfully, with balance and without agenda. Regardless of color, religion, mental capacity, physical ability, race, or sexual orientation, it all comes back to one simple little thing: treat others as you wish to be treated. Walk a few steps in someone else’s shoes before you belittle them. Remove the excuses for hate.

I am scorched earth… because no one is addressing the elephant in the room. The shooting in Orlando was a hate crime. It was not ISIS. It was not Muslim terrorist. It was a man who was Muslim who hated gay people. His hatred could have been based on his religion. It could have been triggered by the MANY Christian leaders who spew the same hate from their pulpits every week. The religious aspect is nothing more than an excuse to keep us from talking about the reality. Hate runs rampant; respect for others is gone. By all means, fly your flags, light up your buildings, change your profile photos to show solidarity, but please, this time, do not let it stop there.

DAILY NEWS - SEPTEMBER 12th, 2012

DATELINE: STANDING TALL, WAITING FOR THE LIGHTNING BOLT – Or the storming of rabid religious zealots ready to kill me because of what I say about religion. I am not editorializing about God, Allah, Jesus, Mohammad, Buddha, or any other diety. I am talking about those rabid irrational morons who believe that THEIR opinion of THEIR god supersedes every other, to the point where in their infinitesimal, moronic, questionably-existing brains, it somehow justifies killing someone else.

I don’t question God or His existence in any way whatsoever, in any form that he might take. I admire those who live their lives in a manner that respects others and themselves, where they treat others as they wish to be treated, because that is what all of these Gods have said in all their holy books. If a person finds strength in their God, all the more power to them. If they find comfort in the sense of not being alone, that’s wonderful.

However, when the bullshit dogma of the various religions, dogma that is intended to keep people ‘in line’ through fear of damnation or bribery of virgins, is something completely different, and is what causes the vast majority of the problems encountered in society, here and abroad. At what point do these morons wake up and realize that their God, in preaching tolerance, respect and love, did NOT intend for those guidelines to result in murders of millions of people over the last two thousand years. We blame God for war... wake up, idiots. It’s us to blame. Don’t cherrypick what your God is telling you.

So on the anniversary of 9-11, in what will without doubt be found to be planned attacks, two US embassies were mobbed, and four men were killed. They were killed because someone made a movie that didn’t look on religion ‘appropriately’. Does no one else see the fucking irony in here? They are so rabid about their adoration of their god, that they disregard one of the basic tenets of all religions – don’t kill. Let me say this again – because of a MOVIE, people deserved to be murdered. The Ambassador had nothing to do with the movie; nor did the other three men who were brutally attacked, but what the hell... it’s all in the name of God/Allah and religion.

To add to the absolute idiocy of this situation, the leader of the GOP responded to a statement that was never made by the sitting president, immediately on the scavenge for political points... political points that are bathed in the blood of innocent American citizens who were serving the US people overseas. Let’s add more emotion, more raving raging stupidity and anger to the situation, because that has worked so well. Scavenge? Hell yes, he swooped in like a vulture ready to pick on the bones of the victims. Political points? Yes, that was all it was about and there is nothing more fucking sacred than those... even if they are based on something that doesn’t exist. This is what you want for a leader? Seriously? Let’s push that button based on an invisible tweet, or a statement that never happened, when the attention should be on sorting out what happened, why, how to protect others... it wasn’t like the US government didn’t have things to do last night, other than be distracted by more Romney stupidity. There is a time for spewed political rhetoric and a time for cool, responsible examination and reaction – Romney, his first time out the potential gate, opted for spewed political rhetoric – and shame on him for that. A considered response is NOT a sign of weakness... the stakes are a bit too high for someone to shoot from the lip before having a fucking clue about what is going on. For once, it might be nice to see politicians doing their jobs instead of working to be re-elected – the only thing they seem concerned about doing anymore, starting about 10 minutes after each election.

The Holocaust was the result, in part, to religious intolerance and hate. The 9-11 attacks were about religious intolerance and hate. In the name of religion, people of the middle east are oppressed, controlled, abused. At what point do we say ‘enough’? It is not ‘showing weakness’ to not jump on the condemnation bus before you know the details. A united front would go so much further to stop the bullshit and cut off the media these terrorist thugs thrive on. This is not the time for political rivals to be taking stupid shots at each other, and this is not the time for the media to be sharing heartbreaking pictures of the Ambassadors last minutes.

Religion has a place in our society. Government has a required place in our society. The two have no business being bed-partners. The inclusion of religion in government creates an instant conflict of interest, inserts emotion where it is neither needed nor wanted. Celebrate your religion – YOUR religion. Understand that the basic tenants of religion are tolerance, respect and love – then try to actually apply those ideals to those of other religions. Can you imagine what a great fucking world it would be once that happens?

My sympathy, prayers and appreciation are extended to Ambassador Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, and the two security officers who gave their lives in the service of their country, as well as their friends and family.

SANTORUM -- NAME AND NATURE?

DATELINE: DABBING AT THE FROTH THAT OOZES PAST HIS SPHINCTER – Who else could I be talking about but that GOP glaring bright light of hope for the future, the blessed one, the chosen one, the fucking nuts one -- RickSantorum, the ‘Jesus Candidate’. Well, he might be that, because whenever I see him come on my television, I scream ‘Oh Jesus!’ and turn the fucking channel.

To just remind all of you religious rage-aholics, there is a wonderful document in the United States of America. It’s called the Constitution, and within it, right there in the very first amendment, it states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ....". Further along, in the fourth article, just for added clarity, it also states "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."

Now enter Rick Santorum, that frothy bit of butt juice, with his repeated spewing of "our civil laws have to comport with a higher law: God's law." So, apparently, Christian law’s trump everything else? Which of God’s laws are we talking about? And while he is saying this, he is talking about the ‘creeping threat of Muslim law’ – because apparently THEIR God is not the God Rick is talking about.

"We have Judeo-Christian values that are based on biblical truth. ... And those truths don't change just because people's attitudes may change." Well, Rick, you just said a mouthful! True enough… so which biblical truth are we going to embrace? If we sin with our arm, we should cut it off, or do we turn the other cheek? Perhaps the Lord helps those who help themselves trumps the fact that you are your brother’s keeper, unless of course, you are keeping them in prison, because they couldn’t help themselves. Do we embrace the vengeful god or the loving god.

Here is the first of my problems… the government should not force you to adhere to any one religion. If I want to worship a fucking cabbage, that is my business, and as long as I do not infringe on other people’s rights in the process, just fuck off and let me and my cabbage have at it. If you look at ALL of the religions on the world, every one of them has one basic, guiding principle – do unto others. All the rest is just a load of propaganda, crap inserted by the current interpreter to make the words meet his own needs. Why is this so fucking difficult? Rick Santorum’s God might be white-skinned, red-haired, bearded and speaking in English, and that’s cool. I rather doubt that if that same image of God showed up to the Maori people, he might just be a tad different, speakin a different language that they could relate to and understand, speaking the same fucking thing – do unto others. The absolute unmitigated arrogance of pricks like Rick Santorum about their religion is enough to make me puke.

But more than that, he, as President of the most powerful nation on the planet, is planning to deny millions of people their rights, impose his own (idiotic) beliefs on everyone, and that will make the world perfect. He is planning to overturn decisions and laws set up to protect everyone in the nation, all so he can tout his own god, and in the process make himself a saint. He will thump that Bible and, like those who wrote the Good Book, will twist its words to his own end. Any book that is a transcription of a transcription of a transcription, morphing through languages, interpretations and changes at the same rate as Depends in a senior’s home, cannot be touted as ‘the whole truth’. It was written by men for political purposes, with specific agendas, heavily laden with metaphor and symbolism, just so that it could be
this perfect weapon of abuse when it comes to individual rights. Yes, you can argue, but if you think about that, you will know its truth, and then you will be going to hell along with me. No worries, we will be in good fuckin company in our hell. The bar there is kickass.

This cannot be overstated: the man is nuckin futs, a fruit case of the most arrogant kind, a man who is bent on using religion to set himself on a pedestal while all others around him are tossed into the pits of hell, and yes, he will make sure they are in his own sick fucking version of hell. That he is taken seriously for even a minute is astounding, and makes me throw up a little in my mouth. The man who campaigns on DENYING human and religious rights is now a front runner. What the fuck does this say to you?

Freedom, honor, respect, tolerance, acceptance -- in the Santorum lexicon, these words don't exist. What is most disturbing of all, though, is the fact that even for one fraction of one minute this bastard is being taken seriously? I don't care what else he brings to the table -- the rest of it is just too much to sacrifice.

So, to the people who embrace what Santorum represents -- quit blaming people who are a different color than you for your fears, quit blaming people who practice a different religion than you for your insecurities about your own shortcomings, and quit blaming gays and lesbians for your unhappy fucking marriages and sexual hangups. Those are all YOU problems, not theirs, and the are certainly not something for which the entire nation should pay the price. Get a life, get serious about what is needed in leadership right now, and find someone to fucking elect who is not the raving lunatic of the god damned year.