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Post by Q3 on Jul 10, 2016 22:16:00 GMT -5
Just got back from watching our local Gay Pride Parade. According to the organizers it was the largest, longest one yet -- sadly, probably because of the events in Orlando. As I watched the parade go by, I thought how times have changed in my lifetime when people just did not speak of "these matters." I was especially touched by the many grey-haired people who were walking behind the banners of our local churches -- United Church, Anglicans, Lutherans, Unitarians, Quakers and representatives from our Jewish synagogue. Many of them had probably been brought up to see homosexuality as a sin and now there they were in a Gay Pride Parade! Things can change for the better! What a nice sight this must have been. Yes, things can change.
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Post by Q3 on Jul 10, 2016 22:17:11 GMT -5
Going along with Q3's eassy today.....Love wins over hate. I have just "click-saved" this photo and put it on my home page of my laptop. TY for sharing it.
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donnamb
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Post by donnamb on Jul 10, 2016 22:22:41 GMT -5
So many issues to address in addressing the violence problems. Love, while a sweet sentiment, is not going to fix anything. Praying is not going to fix anything. Only when the public as a whole says enough is enough and FORCES the leaders at the local, state and national levels to take substantive action will things change. What things do we insist change? My thoughts. Guns: More strenuous background checks with longer waiting periods for delivery. Close the gun show, private sales loopholes. Put the ban back on semi-automatic weapons. Add licensing and tracking requirements for ammunition purchases. Tax the crap out of those purchases and use the money to mitigate the damage and to educate. The government took the tobacco industry to task for the damage it causes, we need to consider doing the same with the firearm industry. Get the NRA out of government. Policing: The move toward more miltary style police tactics needs to be addressed. Having access to high grade body armour and quality equipment is a plus and well deserved by police. However, the heavy use military grade vehicles and military style responses are not an appropriate community policing policies, if you have a military response mindset, who is the enemy? It is the citizens. That leads into the hiring of so many ex-military as police officers. I am all for making sure returning veterans are employed, I have strong reservations though to putting someone who is explicited trained to use all force necessary to stop a threat into positions of community policing. Community: stand up and pich in. Not so black and white. My son is Coast Guard Reserve, trained for Port Security, which usually is boarding vessels of interest entering into our ports. He was activated to go to Kuwait, since everything going to support the troops in Afghanistan has to go through that port. He has to qualify on a weapon every so often, and will carry when required to board vessels or to protect the base. He has no interest in having a gun otherwise. There is a rifle up in the attic which was purchased for target shooting, but it's been neglected for at least 15 years. He doesn't want to shoot a gun, other than maybe skeet shooting. The politicians need to step up for more checks and bounds.
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happy
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Post by happy on Jul 10, 2016 22:36:33 GMT -5
Just got back from watching our local Gay Pride Parade. According to the organizers it was the largest, longest one yet -- sadly, probably because of the events in Orlando. As I watched the parade go by, I thought how times have changed in my lifetime when people just did not speak of "these matters." I was especially touched by the many grey-haired people who were walking behind the banners of our local churches -- United Church, Anglicans, Lutherans, Unitarians, Quakers and representatives from our Jewish synagogue. Many of them had probably been brought up to see homosexuality as a sin and now there they were in a Gay Pride Parade! Things can change for the better! As we raised our children, the two beautiful gentlemen who lived across the pastoral, country driveway had to inhabit two lives. They had to separate who they were to the public from the loving couple they were in private. Early on, they knew to trust us and we loved them beyond measure. They were huge, loving, nurturing influences in the lives of my five sons. We loved them beyond measure; and although they both died in 1998, our quarter-century of togetherness defined our lives, and the growth of our children. Next weekend, I'll have their nieces, their best friends, their godchildren, at my home. Together with my children and next-door neighbors of 40+ years, over twenty 'family' will celebrate the lives of Ran&Marsh, and I'll be thinking of the others you speak - - - grey-haired members of a parade who had to hide this genuine and beautiful part of their lives, and live in scorn. My dear neighbor was a college president! Yet, he feared that if anyone 'knew' - - - all his accomplishments, his doctorate, his philanthropy; all his dreams, would be gone. A magnificent man; who lived with fear. He had to live in silence. But I won't. I am taking his life and his legacy to the next level. My advocacy begins with disavowing the word 'tolerance', and knowing my children will do the same. Hope you have a wonderful celebration! Just to clarify, I'm not sure if the grey-haired members of the parade were gay or not. They may have been allies. Anyone and everyone marches in our parade. I just thought it was ideal that certain churches were willing to show their banners and join in. Not all churches, but some!
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happy
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Post by happy on Jul 10, 2016 22:45:37 GMT -5
So many issues to address in addressing the violence problems. Love, while a sweet sentiment, is not going to fix anything. Praying is not going to fix anything. Only when the public as a whole says enough is enough and FORCES the leaders at the local, state and national levels to take substantive action will things change. What things do we insist change? My thoughts. Guns: More strenuous background checks with longer waiting periods for delivery. Close the gun show, private sales loopholes. Put the ban back on semi-automatic weapons. Add licensing and tracking requirements for ammunition purchases. Tax the crap out of those purchases and use the money to mitigate the damage and to educate. The government took the tobacco industry to task for the damage it causes, we need to consider doing the same with the firearm industry. Get the NRA out of government. Policing: The move toward more miltary style police tactics needs to be addressed. Having access to high grade body armour and quality equipment is a plus and well deserved by police. However, the heavy use military grade vehicles and military style responses are not an appropriate community policing policies, if you have a military response mindset, who is the enemy? It is the citizens. That leads into the hiring of so many ex-military as police officers. I am all for making sure returning veterans are employed, I have strong reservations though to putting someone who is explicited trained to use all force necessary to stop a threat into positions of community policing. Community: stand up and pich in. You've got some good practical suggestions. Now how to make it happen? As a Canadian, obviously I have no voice, except to say that your guns laws affect us too. Many of the illegal guns in Canada have been smuggled in from the US and innocent people have died as a result -- often caught in some crossfire or wrongly targeted shooting.
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Post by pi on Jul 10, 2016 22:58:26 GMT -5
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Post by pi on Jul 10, 2016 22:59:00 GMT -5
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Post by pi on Jul 10, 2016 23:37:15 GMT -5
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Post by adamrocks on Jul 10, 2016 23:51:36 GMT -5
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