Neither the Republicans or Democrats lost any sleep over the defeat of the Mathew Shepard Bill. In fact, it was just Politics as usual in both ranks, as Bush dealt another blow to Democracy, to Compassion, and to Gay Rights. In fact, some of those who opposed including Sexual Orientation into Hate Crime Laws claimed that Gays aren’t targetted for crime, simply because of being Gay.

Tell that to the victim in Cicero Illinois, and to his attacker Rivera

During taped questioning by investigators Rivera said he raped the victim “because he hates faggots, and this is what they get.” (source)

How many more must be assaulted, raped, and even killed before the United States Federal Government gets its act together, and brings about PROTECTION for a MINORITY GROUP? All the talk by Candidates and Elected Officials about the US Democracy being the Greatest Ever, yet it can’t manage to protect a segment of its own society that it finds different?

What kind of Democracy is that?

A decade or so ago, if you listened to a young Mormon politician named Mitt Romney you would never assume that he was a frothing anti abortionist, nor that he was a staunch neo conservative. And yet today that is exactly what Mitt Romney IS, and keeps on trying to PROVE THAT HE IS, even though some are seeing through his hypocrisy. (see Gay Talk)

All in the name of getting elected.

From Hilary Clinton to Ron Paul, they all talk about their CORE BELIEFS and how they have worked for so long in support of those basic beliefs. Even Mitt Romney tries that gambit, and yet if you look at the past of them all, you find how different their stands were just a short time back.

Hilary Rodham Clinton on Health Care, where her and hubby came up with today’s HMO System. Yet back then she opposed any form of National Health, now she wants to mandate that it become LAW that everyone MUST HAVE HEALTH CARE INSURANCE. Doesn’t say how you are supposed to pay for it, but that sure is a switch from when she was First Lady.

Then over on the other side, you have Mitt Romney. This is the guy who promised Gay’s he would be their voice in Washington, to secure them EQUAL RIGHTS, and now today he goes to court to DENY GAYS THOSE VERY RIGHTS. He stands PROUDLY IN DEFENSE OF HIS ANTI GAY STAND.

You would think that these two, at least, would not be in the running, and yet here we are, about to start the tortured process of Primary Voting, and they are the front runners for their Political Parties. Makes you wonder, is it really what people want, or is it the money they are spending to fool everyone?

According to Mike Huckabee, family came before even the Church. I suppose in some aspects that is true. Family under the ‘Religious Right‘ seems to rest solely on the ability to procreate. That is the so called defining criteria on what makes a family. Interesting really, because they are countless millions out there who can’t procreate, but are definitely heterosexual.

“It’s not because I don’t like them,” Huckabee said of gay people. “It’s because I like even more the idea that the heart and soul, the essence of our civilization is in the family. It’s not in the government. It’s not even in some institution, not even the church. Before there was the church, and before there was government, there was family. (source)

There is a basic flaw in this definition. If ‘family‘ truly existed prior to religion, to the Church or Government, as Mike Huckabee claims, then obviously the definition of what is a family is far different than Huckabee’s defining criteria. Millions of males are unable to reproduce due to low sperm counts, millions of women world wide are barren, unable to produce eggs, yet they exist as a family. They are married and in some cases adopt children, even way back in ancient times.

So procreation isn’t really the foundation of a what is a family. Despite Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney or others, the criteria obviously is a lot deeper than simply being able to procreate. This is what the Religious Zealots seem to forget. And while on that subject, explain how a man believed to be the Son of God, had no wife, had no children, yet is worshiped as the founder of their faith?

Family is about a small contained group, that have deep emotional ties to each other. It is about love, about emotional and sexual attachments. So to say that why he opposes equal rights for gays is due to his unwavering faith in family, is just hogwash.  Truth is, it is more about FEAR, and about Racism.  When you hate another, not because they did you wrong, but because they are simply different, that is RACISM.