Have a Merry Christmas... Somewhere Else

The following letter to the editor was published in the Saturday, 12 December, 2004, Northwest Arkansas edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:

Highways go all ways
Re the letter from Laura M. Eppes of Russellville: I am one of the many, many ignorant Bible-thumpers of the South who voted to re-elect President Bush. I voted for him because I thought he was the best man for the job because the values he embraces are the values of the majority of Americans.

He wants to preserve the Christian values this country was founded on and the Christian values based on what our Bible gives to us, not those given to us by man or far-left judges.

Since Bush was re-elected, I would feel safe to say there are a lot more of us Bible-thumping, ignorant people of the South than there are people who feel like Eppes does.

The last time I looked at the map, Russellville was almost in the center of the South, and they have highways leading out of the South in all directions.

BETTYE BRUNER
Mountain View

When I woke up on Christmas Day, I grabbed the paper from the doorstep and sat down to read it while I waited for my mom and sister to wake up. Mixed in with the 1^st Graders' letters to Santa, I found this lovely letter to the editor overflowing with Christmas cheer.

This is just one of the average, run of the mill, bitter Republican diatribes that get published on an almost daily basis. Though I find her pride in being one of the "ignorant Bible-thumpers of the South" repulsive, and I could spend an hour just writing about the founding values of this country (after all, the Constitution was given to us by man, and the Bible is not the founding document of our country), this was hardly worthy of being my first serious topic. Or so I thought until I got to the very last paragraph.

Ms. Bruner's encouragement for Ms. Eppes' departure from the area on the grounds that they disagree is not the first (though possibly the wittiest) similar sentiment I have seen expressed in the letters to this paper. If you don't agree with me, then leave. Isn't that a splendid sentiment for a bright Christmas morning?

Initially, I thought this was just rhetorical nonsense, but now I realize that Ms. Bruner and company really do want those of us who disagree with them to pack up and leave town. Do they really have so little tolerance for diversity that they can't stand to be within 3 states of someone who thinks differently, or do they just fear that their points of view hold so little validity that they cannot endure any opposition?

I cannot fathom a good reason for this type of nastiness, but despite my disagreement with Ms. Bruner on several points, I hope she had a Merry Christmas over there in Mountain View. At least she's not any closer.

Russelville Map 

P.S. In case you wanted to check out the actual highway situation in Russellville, here's the map. They have a few state roads but only one interstate. And it goes east-west. Good luck getting out of the South with that.

I Am...

In order to help you put the future postings of this blog in some sort of context, it's probably a good idea that we, or at least I, have an introduction. So without further delay and in no particular order, I am...

I am... Gay.

This is by no means the most important identity I will be claiming in this post, though it does seem to be one of the hardest for some people to come to terms with, so let's just get it out of the way up front. I just am. If you don't like it, that's your problem. Get over it. I don't flaunt my sexual orientation any more than the typical heterosexual male flaunts his in the course of a day, and probably a lot less.

I am... Christian.

Whoa. Aren't those last two mutually exclusive or something? NO! But you can expect this to be the topic of numerous future posts. I grew up and was baptized in the Southern Baptist tradition. Though I am currently a member of one SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) church and a regularly attending another, I hold only a thinly veiled disdain for that organization. Someday when I have the nerve and the time, I'll write them a nice letter withdrawing my membership and I'll find a more friendly congregation. In the meantime, I'm relying on my personal faith and surviving without any meaningful Christian fellowship.

I am... an Optimist.

I believe that most people, if given the chance, will do the right thing. At the very least, they'll do the best they can. I believe that bad things happen to good people for good reasons. I believe that some good will come out of every situation. I believe that things usually will turn out ok, even if it doesn't feel like it at the time.

I am... a Trekkie.

I love Star Trek. I appreciate it for the positive picture it presents of the future and the idea that we humans really can overcome most of our collective stupidity and be a great, united society. My favorite iteration is Deep Space Nine.

I am... a Geek.

I spend many hours each week at my computer. I surf the net. I read and write email. I chat on a variety of instant messenger services. I have a Bachelors degree in Computer Science from the Rochester Institute of Technology. (Yes, that's a geek degree from a geek school. Thank you, very much.) I am sometimes prone to using over technical language with people who don't understand me, but I'm capable of toning it down if you bring it to my attention. I use computer analogies for everyday events. I am a geek, and I am proud of it.

I am... an Educator.

I believe that knowledge is power and that education is one of the most worthy pursuits; that teaching is the most noble of professions. I wanted to teach when I was in the 3^rd grade. I got away from that when I went to college and followed my geeky side for a while. Thank goodness I did! But now I'm ready to go back to my earlier dream. Currently, I'm substitute teaching on an almost full-time basis. This summer, I will begin working on my graduate degree in secondary education.

I am... Opinionated.

If you continue to read this 'blog, you will quickly find that I have very strong opinions on most every topic. After all, my sole reason for creating this blog was to express and record my opinions. I love to actively debate issues with people regardless of whether we disagree or not. The more controversial the topic, the better.

I am... Conservative.

Politically speaking, no self-respecting "conservative" would accept my claim to this title. I am not a Neo-Con. However, I am pretty conservative in a traditional sense, and often politically as well. Traditionally, I'm not a big risk taker, I save my money, I don't drink alcohol, I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, and I'm generally considered a prude. Politically, I think our constitution should be interpreted strictly and should not have too much read into it. In general, I think people just deserve to be left alone.

I am... Liberal.

I claim to be a liberal because I believe that conservative principles should be applied liberally to everyone. The First Amendment (freedom of speech, press, and religion) is second in greatness only to the Fourteenth (equal protection), which ensures that we should all be subject to the same rights, responsibilities, and consequences under the laws of this country. Many modern-day "conservatives" seem to have lost their respect for these two important provisions. Most political analysts, if ever given reason, would rate me on the liberal side of the scale somewhere between "Green" and "Socialist" based on my rhetoric I think small government's a nice concept, but big government, if done right, can offer more to the people.

I am... a Democrat.

Until such time as a sensible political party gains some prominence in this country, I have chosen to register as a Democrat. This allows me to vote in primaries and otherwise identify with the major party with which I have the most in common. I strongly disagree with them on several issues, but sometimes uneasy alliances are required to accomplish one's goals.

I am... a Procrastinator.

This 'blog post should have been written and posted 36 hours ago.

Mixed-Up Reasonings on an Up-Side Down World

Mixed-Up Reasonings on an Up-Side Down World

Is this up-side down world coming to an end? No. Despite my previous claims that this cataclysmic event would occur before I would start a 'blog, it is not the case.

So why the 'blog?
Recently my mind has been awash with opinions and reasonings with no good outlet through which to escape. Perhaps the recent election, in all its controversial glory, is to blame, but nevertheless I've decided that a 'blog is as good a way as any to record my invaluable thoughts on incredibly important and varied topics as why George Bush is anti-American to the bubble gum someone stuck under the seat at the movie theatre. The purpose of the blog is therefore two fold: to prevent my own insanity, and to to ensure that the world will never again have to endure without my never-ending wisdom.

So what did you have for dinner?
Thanks for asking but, generally speaking, that's none of your business. I know a lot of people who use a 'blog to record every minutiae of their daily life for the world's morbid perusal. You will not find that here. For the most part, this 'blog will be dedicated to my views on moral, political, social, and technological issues. This is not to say that you won't from time to time receive a glimpse of my daily activities when some event sets my mind to pondering a certain topic worth exploring in this forum, but as I explain a particular reason for relevancy, don't expect a daily rehash of every trip I took to the restroom. Oh, and by the way, tonight's dinner was baked potatoes. Thanks, Mom.

Now what?
Now I leave you with this first introductory post. If I feel so moved, there will be more. Otherwise, there won't be. Either way, this could be interesting. Enjoy!