Pacifist Patriot's Journal - Democratic Underground

So I'm exiting the highway and the traffic signal is red at the end of the ramp.

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:11:12

A man who could have been anywhere from 30-50 was standing on the corner in 85 degree heat holding a sign that said, "just hungry." I rolled down my window, beckoned him over and gave him the three dollars I had on me. He smiled and said, "God bless you" and the light turned green.

I turned left ...

Do You Really Want a List of Demands? From the Desk of a Community Minister

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:11:19

I don�t for one moment honestly believe anyone who is paying attention can fail to grasp the message in the Occupy Wall Street movement. There may be an absence of identifiable leadership in terms of a charismatic speaker addressing a million people massed at the steps of the Lincoln memorial, but t...

SB 1744 - My letter to the Florida Senate Health Regulation Committee

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:41:53

I am extremely concerned about a current bill in committee that would force a woman to undergo an ultrasound prior to an abortion. I understand this would be the case even when it is not in the best judgment of her personal physician. Regardless of one's views on abortion, this is not an appropriate...

Okay, one more time.

Tue, 26 May 2009 19:08:05

Religious institutions have no legal authority to render a couple married in the eyes of the law. None. Nada. Bupkus.

In the United States, marriage has always been a civil contract under state statute, with the exception of that horrific piece of legislation passed by Congress in 1996. But even ...

Anyone up for a little Marriage 101?

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:02:53

The first thing to understand is that marriage is marriage. A couple is either legally married or they are not.

[i]If we're going to discuss how the state should be involved in marriage than we need to understand what we are talking about. A little history lesson doesn't hurt from time to time, ...

May we have a moment of silence for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters in FL?

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:16:07

They were relegated to non-human status yesterday. I can only interpret that way since they are not considered equal in the Florida constitution and as we all know Americans began with the proposition that all men (and women)were created equal. If they do not have equal protection under the law than...

If McCain had spoken like that during the campaign it might not have been a landslide.

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:24:30

Well done, Senator. That is a gracious concession indeed....

Has anyone else noticed the message for gay marriage bans has changed since 2004?

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:11:26

In 2000 and 2004 we were encouraged to violate human dignity and be willing participants in legalizing discrimination.

Why? Because same sex marriage will cause harm to those of us who are in "traditional" [i](not exactly, but they obviously haven't read up on the history of marriage)[/i] hetero...

If you are concerned about vote suppression on the part of elections officials, please read.

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:43:10

I am not referring to mailing fraudulent voting instructions or other actions that point directly to the GOP. I am referring to the distribution of machines and/or...

Help for those too shy to confront, but fed up with GOP garbage spewing from people's lips...

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:45:09

Some people are too shy, uncomfortable or in an inappropriate setting to directly confront a silly rumor or nasty right-wing meme they are confronted with or overhear.

I have made up a single page with helpful links. I have a few pages with me every where I go.

I respond or politely join a con...

I am so not proud of myself tonight. This is indeed a new low for me.

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:09:04

I stole a McCain yard sign.

But there is more to the story. My neighborhood does not permit signs in yards so they have accummulated on a grassy knoll just outside the subdivision. My Obama sign has been stolen three times. Tonight I drove by and saw that not only was the Obama sign stolen, but a...

Now this is an odd and thrilling newspaper endorsement indeed! Why you ask?

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:21:58

Because not only is it a British newspaper it is owned by Rupert Murdoch.

[b][font size=+1]An American Choice[/font]
Barack Obama has shown the character, intelligence and judgment to be president. He is the better candidate for the White House[/b]

[i]It is for the American people to choose...

I have an eight year old son.

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:13:21

He's eaten his breakfast, is splayed across my bed watching cartoons and in about thirty minutes will begin his school work. He loves legos, Aston Villa football, horsing around in the swimming pool and archery.

In thirty years he could conceivably be involved in charitable organizations. Heaven ...

An Invisible Piece of the Puzzle...or is it lying under the rug?

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:41:00

Like many of you, I do not have a degree in either Business Administration or Economics. I have a general grasp of the current financial and economic crisis, but I can't say I'd be able to assemble the jigsaw even with a nice graphic to assist me.

So I do what I can to educate myself and stay abr...

PSA: Check your credit report! Creditors and their wide net...

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 09:25:39

Obviously creditors have gone beyond skittish to outright panic.

My husband has a relatively common name. Over the past months we have been getting increasingly frequent credit collection calls at all hour of the day and night. Each time it has been for someone else. Same name, different birthday...

Pardon me if I am offended by a flirt at the podium.

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:12:21

I have been told today (not at DU, but in person) that I need to stop being so sensitive and toughen up with respect to my reactions to Sarah Palin. Apparently it is my fault I find it inappropriate when a woman resorts to playing the sex kitten in order to hide the fact that she hasn't a clue what ...

Sarah Palin was selected for two reasons and two reasons only.

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:55:34

1. Energize the conservative "base" of the GOP. i.e. Pander, pander, pander

Palin is a right-wing spokesmodel who can generate rallies with thousands of people when McCain can't get 50 to whoop it up for him at the county line saloon. Do not expect to see terribly many future campaign appearances...

Forgive me, but I am going to step where angels fear to tread.

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:10:46

I am going to bring something up that has long been considered a sacred cow and essentially off limits. I may insult or offend some people and for that I truly apologize. I mean absolutely no disrespect to veterans and do not suggest that prisoners of war are unfit for positions of responsibility on...

A Tried and True Approach with Independents and Fence Sitters

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:57:09

Forget the far right-wing, forget the willfully ignorant and forget the habitual Republicans-for-life. You have better things to do with your time and you won't get anywhere anyway.

I promise you the following approach has worked every single time I have used it. Even with people who consider the...

For those of you concerned that protests at the GOP Convention will hurt Dems.

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:43:22

Remember that the protests at the Dem Convention in 1968 didn't exactly hurt Nixon's bid for the White House.

I don't approve of violence (especially as a first tactic), obviously, but protest and disruption have been part of our Americain heritage and often the only way we could get people to si...

Letter to my Republican Relatives

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:04:24

My extended family has an email group that I rarely participate on because our religious and political views are so different. After last night I felt I had to say something or I was going to explode. This is what I sent to my relatives.

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Heart Aching, Stomach Churning, Head Spinning, Skin Crawling

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:28:41

There is just no adequate way to describe what I am feeling this morning. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, I am currently in the throes of a surreal experience similar to what I felt during the events of September 11. This just cannot be my country or the world I inhabit.

My brain is having ...

Yes I do have compassion for Jim D. Adkisson.

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:38:47

This is the ultimate test of my religious faith and denominational principles. As difficult as it may be, in keeping with Unitarian Universalist principles and belief in "the inherent dignity and worth of every person" and "justice, equity, and compassion in human relations," I also keep the man who...

First wedding I will decline to officiate. I'm still reeling after the call.

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 17:41:06

The conversation was going quite smoothly when the bride asked my race. I thought I misunderstood her at first, but she wanted to make sure I was white because this would be an issue with some of her relatives. Scrape my naive chin off the floor. I am way too used to people preferring a male member ...

Kucinich... Biden... Edwards... Whoever. No more, I'm pledged.

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:20:57

Okay, I've stayed out of the game for months since my support has been utterly irrelevant. I live in Florida and my preferences are all long gone from the race. I felt very little enthusiasm or investment in whether Obama or Clinton got the nomination. Both were at the dead bottom of my prioritized ...