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... in faith-based principles respecting the conduct of my fellow travelers on that boulevard of broken dreams we each call life.
There can be no "rapture" for me. This said with no intent on my bringing offense to any other here respecting their own personal, and however closely held, thoughts on this matter. When I die, codified by the terms of Powers of Medical and Legal Attorney and my Last Will and Testament, I will be delivered up to the mortuary in a simple cloth shroud, summarily cremated and my ashes disposed of in the nearest dumpster where I'll then join Maximillion, Bandit, Sampson and Lucky, who all passed that way before me. There will be no gathering and no service, no memorial, and no marker or headstone. The only record of my passage through this veil of tears will be a birth and death certificate in some Registry Office; my only footprint surviving in odd thoughts scribbled and captured in venues such as this, and more importantly, through the memory of those that knew me intimately, and especially my two sons; and then only so long as they themselves survive. Without the body corporeal there can be no rapture. If it be intended that I get wherever it is everyone else, through their faith, is trying their damnedest to get to, I figure I have just as good a shot as the next fellow, and as likely as not will get there in the end, regardless of whether I believe or not.
That said, if I had but one dream for all, it would be that each and every one of us IN THIS WORLD be seen (and treated) as truly equal before God, regardless of whose God he (or she) is, or whatever name he (or she) goes by.
Equal means simply that. There can never be some who are more, or less, equal than any other. There is no, and can never be any, "notwithstanding" clause which establishes equality. We either are, or we are not.
The human race has reached its' defining moment folks. It is beholden upon us that we man-up and face the realities of the human condition as it speaks to each and every one of us, in all of its' glorious diversity. Difference should never be disparaged or denigrated simply for its' being, by its' very nature, out of step with anyone or anything, else. It should be encouraged, embraced and celebrated for all its' worth, for therein lies all hope for future generations of mankind as a whole.
Inclusion, not exclusion, is our only hope,
The untimely death of our youth, and in truth, anyone (notice there's no notwithstanding clause here folks) at the alter of discrimination is unconscionable, and in a word downright CRIMINAL, and should be addressed by society in general, and the legal system in particular, as being just that. CRIMINAL.
The time for niceties is long since past.
There should be no place for talking-points, social or theological agendas and committees in adjudicating the merits of equality. We've been there, done that. It's tired, and frankly, getting rather old.
The time has come for all mankind to take no prisoners on issues of discrimination, whatever its' disguise and regardless of it's being sanctified in some entity's (or person's) theological mumbo jumbo, or not.
Wherever we live, each and every time we encounter discrimination (and bullying is just but one insidious example therein), make those telephones ring, fill those snail- and e-mail in-boxes with your displeasure, write those letters to the editor, comment at relevant web-page and -blog articles. Make your voice, and views, be heard. Silence only begats indifference, and indifference is tyranny's only friend.
Historically, particularizing our campaigns based on identified segments of societal inequality has achieved great strides overall in diminishing, if not vanquishing, that inequality; but, in order to address the wider issue, and educate rather than legislate tolerance for diversity, we need now to be inclusive, rather than exclusive, in our perspective.
Discrimination, and by extension its' brothers-in-arms, abuse, be that spousal or otherwise, physical or emotional or bullying, has no place in a fair and just World Society; there can be no theological or social justification for its' practice. Call it for what it is; regardless of its' being driven by someone's orientation or their race or religion or age or where-with-all.
It is a very sorry state of affairs, and sort of ironic, that in order to be able to encourage, embrace and celebrate diversity in all of its' glorious flavours, and for all its' worth, it has come down to, and become necessary, that we discriminate against those that would deny anyone else's right to be different.
Warren C. E. Austin
The Gay Deceiver
Toronto, Canada
"... comme recherché qu'un délice callipygian"
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