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hat’s it, my romance with the local GLBT community is over. Yes I had some qualms when my fey friends leaned hard on Gay Marriage when it was made a wedge issue in the election of 2004. Yes I rebuffed the campaign against Don’t Ask Don’t Tell because it implicitly encouraged military service in a time of US war crime. But I remained in the fold because I was reminded that equal rights for gays and lesbians are fundamental to the embrace of universal equality. Now my humanitarian tolerance is being tested by having to extend equality to moral-idiocy. Today I received an invitation to a GLBTA gala honoring former Colorado Springs lesbian Jeanne Assam, the most famous lesbian they could tap apparently. Famous for what? The name rang a bell. Assam was the disgraced police officer, redeemed New Life Church security volunteer, who preempted a presumed massacre by a teen abused-churchgoer come home to roost. He was bent on an armed rampage, but does that excuse Assam shooting him from a concealed position, without even an attempt at apprehension? Local GLBTA leaders think it does apparently, and maybe it’s no surprise then that they chose this photo to promote the event. Now I admit, next to preemptive war criminal George W. Bush, Jeanne Assam is an angel, even in sexuality-irrelevant Officer Unfriendly Ray-bans. But I say it’s time local GLBTA leaders give thought to showing equal consideration for the people of conscience community.
Not My Tribe
The Myth of Middle Ground
I’m thinking “trouble for the Wreligious Wrong” because they fire off as many anti gay rhetoric missiles as they do Kill Them All 2nd Amendment diatribes.
And sometimes they combine the two. And throw in the Church part.
iirc that particular church is heavily influenced or even owned by the Dobsonite local faction?
And associating her with Dumbass Dubya.
SCORE! iGol!
Spike the ball and dance in the end zone time. Round the bases at a leisurely trot and high-five the entire team as you’re heading home.
Although, yeah, seeing a member of a heavily oppressed group standing on the same stage with the Fascists and actually smiling does rather stir ones intestines.
But the Dobson faction will spin themselves dizzy trying to spin this story.
It’s giving us what the Shooter Elite call a “target-rich environment”. And we don’t have to do much, sit back and watch them shoot each other mostly.
I think it’s important to get some facts in order here. She visited Bush at his request, and she was not openly gay at the time. She’s also no longer affiliated with New Life Church. If she’s now speaking out about how it’s ok to be gay and Christian, why would her purported political affiliation bear any relevance? Yes perhaps it stirs some controversy to have her speak, but many within the GLBT community recognize the various perspectives, voices and individuals that make up the GLBT’s diverse community.
The function she is attending has had several past keynote speakers which are arguably not as controversial as Assam. Does that mean we should make a point to exclude those who are “unsafe” choices? The only way we ever move forward on social equality, is when we actively practice inclusivity, instead of just using it as a buzz word.
I think our leaders have forgotten what it is we are actually working for…to create a place that offers alternatives to kids like Mathew Murray, who needed to be out of the Church, not persecuted by them. It is tragic what happened, to the victims, and to the shooter. Most of us are not in favor of glorifying someone who killed a troubled kid when we work so hard to help troubled youth.
One perspective that seems good to me, mostly due to pain pills, Carly Simon and approximately midnight…
But there was one clever movie line from a story about a Korean War vet going back to Segregation Mississippi and selling insurance in the black side of town. Elderly black lady, customer of his, mentions something about the recent desegregation of the Army “Oh, Lord, they done found out we make good soldiers, we’re in trouble now”
That’s the other side of the equation. The late hour and medicine and good music (Cat Stevens now) are just one side, my bear-trap mind remembers things like this.
Desegregating the military made it far easier for the then War Department to create a disposable class of soldiers, more so than they already had.
One of my friends in Texas, black and a ‘Nam vet, told me “you know why so many (brothers) got killed in ‘nam? Cause every time the sergeant yelled “Get Down” we all jumped up and started dancin’!” but then the tone gets quieter, another toke,… “but really, it’s because a brother didn’t get the Safe Jobs, most of us in Combat Infantry were some shade of brown and all of us were poor folk”.
Disposable people disguised as desegregation.
Lord, they done found out (whoever)we(are) make good soldiers, we’re in trouble now.
I know that’s what bothers Eric, me too. Why not have something like an equal opportunity, proportionate to the amount of bread ones family makes off the war, to put rich White Kids into combat infantry positions? That would be the ultimate desegration. If George Bush’s daughters actually had to go TO the war instead of promoting military service as a career path for other young folk?
Mit Romney’s sons, same way. Cheney’s kids. Reagans kids. Give them a chance to get killed in the wars that make them rich.
Make “Obscenely Wealthy” a one way ticket to a 1A draft rating.
“He was bent on an armed rampage, but does that excuse Assam shooting him from a concealed position, without even an attempt at apprehension?”
Eric,
Matthew Murray was in the middle of shooting people with a semi-automatic rifle and a 30-round mag. How exactly would you have attempted to apprehend Mr. Murray? Jeanne Assam did an amazing job to shoot the gunman and end the rampage. Many lives were saved because of her.
Nope. He had driven down from Denver where the church office there gave forewarning to Colorado Springs. Murray left victims in the parking lot but was marching through the hallway approach toward the main hall when Assam took aim. No one knew yet about the parking lot, but the scandal-weary church was anticipating Murray’s visit, and hadn’t called the police because they wanted to silence the disgruntled youth in-house.
Eric,
I find your position surprising and it contradicts numerous published reports at the time. If I understand your response correctly:
1. The leaders of New Life knew the name of the person who shot two people at a Christian center in Denver the night before, even though the shooter had not been identified at that time,
2. That of all the places the unnamed shooter could have gone, the leaders at New Life had knowledge that he would come directly to their church,
3. The leaders of New Life knew that a shooter who had killed two people was coming to their church to kill more people and they chose not to call the Colorado Springs police in advance of the shooting,
4. The leaders of New Life let two teenage girls die just so they could “silence” a disgruntled youth.
The fact is many people at New Life knew that Matthew Murray had shot at people before he entered the East door of New Life. Jeanne Assam testified that she could hear the rifle fire and ran towards the gunfire (incredibly brave of her).
Matthew Murray was there for one reason only – to kill as many Christians as he could. How do we know that? Because he personally wrote it on his blog after the Denver killings and before he drove to Colorado Springs.
One last thing. I live in Colorado Springs and had the opportunity to speak with some of the people there that day, including members of the New Life Safety team (security team). You can dislike the people of New Life if you like, but it’s only right to present the facts fairly.
Perhaps he knew some of them a little bit better than you did, Steve, and got more information than what gets published in the Neo-Fascist local press, which by the way sucks up to any right wing organization. It’s what they do.
Calm down, dude. People not accepting YOUR official statements, hey, if your official statements can’t stand questioning, which is the gist of what you’ve said…
Then maybe you SHOULD question the official statements a lot more closely.
My take on it is that when the Right Wing Hate Media declare the person who was killed by a pig, either a regular or private cop, to be guilty of all charges the pigs who killed him make against his defenseless dead body, with no other word than that of the Killer Kop Klan, that’s reason for me to be suspicious.
It’s a red flag, a 3 meter by 5 meter huge red flag hoist on the highest flagpole available then lit on fire.
Especially when New Life is all huggy-kissy with the Bush Hate Freak Regime. You know, the ones who say that killing people based on lies is perfectly acceptable to, and commanded by, God Himself.
Momma always said, baby-killers is as baby-killers does.
And when they support killing babies based on lies, who would they NOT kill, and why wouldn’t they lie to cover that up?
Cops kill people routinely, then say that the person they shot caused the shooting. And never spend an hour in jail for it.
So, why should WE be convinced because the alternative evidence doesn’t square with the Official Story?
Are you, like, commanding us to believe you or else?
Brother Jonah,
It is a stretch to suggest that I am commanding people to believe as I do “or else”. Why do you see threats where none exist?
What I am saying is that I personally know some of the people involved. I didn’t get my information from any “right-wing press”. I didn’t get it from any press. I got it from people who were in the thick of it that day.
Lastly, I find it regrettable that you would refer to law enforcement officers as “pigs”. These men and women perform a dangerous job so that you and I and others in our society can go about our lives in relative safety. We should thank them every day for their service.
Regards,
Steve
Colorado Springs, Colorado
I call them pigs because that’s what they demonstrate themselves to be. Cowards, low-life scum who feel that somebody “talking back” to them is a punishable offense. And when they punish somebody for DARING to express an alternate opinion they have to do it in their Uniformed Thuig Gang.
meaning, being beaten while handcuffed and helpless. They can’t and won’t do it one on one. That’s why when they attacked peaceful marchers Legally and With Paid Permission participating in the St Paddy’s day parade they jumped the elderly and disabled first. (Freedom of Speech and Freedom Peaceably to Assemble costs a license fee in “Freedom Loving” Colorado Springs.
Speaking of which, why are you so “dismayed’ that somebody would talk back to YOU?
It wasn’t done on either your Police or New Life “heroes” websites…
Unlike this site, they’re heavily moderated and any comments contrary to their Official Line would not be tolerated and really, wouldn’t ever be published.
And, the authors would be prosecuted. Again with that “handcuffed and helpless” routine.
My personal experience has led me to the certain knowledge that cops become cops or security guards for one reason only, the Power Trip they get from swaggering around in their uniforms and jackboots and taking all their fears, anxieties, inadequacies and feelings of helplessness out on others.
Kind of like a bunch of Jared Loughners with the Green Light from organized society.
Naturally, like your friends, they’ll tell a different story.
They’ll even tell it here. Every time anybody makes a comment contrary to the Official Story, like the ones your friends echo, it’s like coming out to the trough, banging a bucket and yelling “Sooooooo-EEEEEEE!!!” and they all come a-running.
The OTHER murderous cowardly bitch in the picture, George W? He for all practical purposes declared an “information war” early in the war on so-called Terror. Turned loose all the demon-spawn keyboard warriors to go to Non-Conformist websites offering the NeoCon line of crap. Donald Rumsfeld even publicly stated (then publicly retracted) the notion of creating a Bureau of Lies, have paid operatives planting the Official Story, contradicting any who dare to Contradict.
Kind of like “Oh, yeah, and we’re going to tell you lies and you’ll be morally required to believe them” and then a week or so later “No, we’re not going to do it, we were lying to you the first time”.
One of our friends e-mailed a link to an ad placed on a canadian employment site, probably satirical but very true, offering government jobs to writers who would seek out other opinions on the internet and where possible (like here) post the government lie ooops I meant “line”.
There sure are a lot of them. Not all of them “Cellar Dweller” 40-somethings living in their moms’ basements writing their own twist on the official line for free. Some of them live in their moms’ basement and get paid to write from a script.
We had a couple thousand organized Troll attacks within one week supporting the Israeli Defense Force invading Gaza and shooting anybody who objected, man woman or especially child.
Wherein IDF paid some really Hack Writers and gave them free unlimited internet in exchange for doing it. We had that “peanut gallery” sidebar chock-full of people all with one or two IP addresses, posting Pro-IDF anti-Arab (but not racist, oh heavens no!) propaganda. A three or four hundred word essay posted from the same computer basically agreeing with a three or four hundred page essay posted one minute earlier. Can YOU type 300 words per minute?
And that’s just the service that was exposed. There are others.
So, why again are you disconcerted and saddened that your own postings would get lumped in with that?
The advertisement for “Right Wing Troll Writers” was ‘flagged’ and removed before I even got the email. Apparently Troll-Wanted ads that actually ARE hiring are considered legitimate business but somebody expressing the “alternate opinion” aren’t.
Craigslist has a bunch of people who will post all manner of Racist or other Republican/Tea Party Approved hate speech all day every day and yet, if you publish a Rants and Raves post that’s contrary to the TeaBags, RepukeLickins, or (did you guess this?) Police, New Life Church and other right wing organizations it’s flagged and removed within minutes. The Right Wing Minions who apparently have nothing better to do with their time than flag down alternate opinions. Or seek out websites which primarily provide any such alternate opinions and write contradictions.
So, Rejoice, Steve. Unlike your comrades we don’t prosecute people or sick the Pigs on them for publishing an alternative opinion.
Brother Jonah,
You’re obviously very passionate about this. I am in no way “dismayed” that you challenge my point of view. In fact, I believe this type of debate is good for our Republic, although I also don’t pretend that I will change your mind in any way.
What I do take exception to is having you call Jeanne, indirectly, a “murderous, cowardly bitch”. I have had the privilege of speaking with Jeanne and she is a good woman. She put her life on the line to save many others. Why are you so against her actions? Were you disappointed that more Christians didn’t die that day? If so, what moral compass directs your life? I don’t wish that liberal people could be killed. They are my fellow Americans who I would like to see have a good life.
Brother Jonah, the whole world is not lying to you. There are many good people, of all political viewpoints, who work hard to do the right thing. Law enforcement, while not perfect, is a blessing to our society by working to restrain evil. You benefit from that. I benefit from that. Our friends, families, and yes, even our political opponents benefit from it. And that is a good thing.
Take a deep breath, go outside, admire a sunset and give thanks for life. I’ll go do the same.
Sincerely,
Steve
Colorado Springs, CO
Look, Steve. I’m under no legal or moral obligation to give a damn about hurting the feelings of Pigs. They gave up their humanity for a chance at unlimited Sadism under the cover of their badges, guns, uniforms and Fellow Pigs.
I don’t give a shit whether Jeanne Assam is gay either, other than sadness at members of a repressed group feeling some kind of need to join the repressive forces.
She’s a pig, m’kay? She probably got off to shooting young Matthew, just like any other cop would.
You know how the arrogant pig bastards say “Respect has to be earned”?
What they mean is their respect for anybody else has to be “earned” by grovelling to them, “Yes sir, No Sir, Three Bags Full Sir” but that others have to AUTOMATICALLY respect them or face retaliation. Handcuff somebody and beat him while handcuffed for “calling them a NAME” oh my God what a hideous crime!
And they say “Oh, nobody will ever believe YOU, all we have to do is say you’re CRAZY, just like Jeanne Assam did with Young Matthew.
And then pig-loving back-the-badge coward SUCKS like you help them “Build the Blue Wall” every literally God-Damned time.
It was cops, mercenary cops, who nailed Jesus to the cross.
See, respect isn’t something anybody has to “earn” from me. I’m like a 200 pound box of Purina Instant Friend.
Contempt, on the other hand, is earned. And the Pigs earned it from me.
There’s not a single one of your Pig heroes who would ever investigate his Fellow Pigs for the murders and other sadistic brutality they commit. Not one. not ever.
The “whole world” lying? No. You and your pig-loving sucks don’t comprise the entirety of the world. I can’t say for certain because I’ve not met “all” or “most” of the people in the world, but I’d strong suspect that most don’t. Some are too terrorized or beaten down to complain, at least in your earshot, that doesn’t mean that our voices don’t exist or don’t matter. It’s too bad that you’re blinded to that fact, or just so dishonest you’d never admit the possibility of it.
As to meeting every pig in the world, you meet one, you’ve met all. They deliberately distort their appearance to look more uniform, in order to think more uniformly.
And, to make it difficult for any of their victims to tell the difference between “individual” Pig-drones.
It’s the effect y’all wanted, it’s what I personally see, a uniform badge and gun and a sick sadistic bastard holding them together.
I feel sorry for their spawn, they have no choice in the matter.
When one of them gets his face shot in, like your comrade in Limon, it’s another soul gone beyond redemption, but it’s also exactly what cops dish out, and enjoy dishing out. When a cop murders a “suspect” like the Limon pigs did, it’s an automatic guilty verdict for the suspect and an automatic acquittal for the cops who killed him.
Do YOU, Steve, EVER call for the knee-jerk reaction of the Blue Wall to be questioned, or just those of us who have experienced the very dark side of your Pig Heroes? Did you ever write as impassioned an appeal to not judge young Matthew or perhaps Oscar Grant or Rodney King or Professor Gates to be “guilty as charged” when the pigs targeted them?
I don’t think you ever did. I really don’t.
Eric, just remembe this one thing forever… No matter how fucked up Jeanne Assam is, she is light years your superior in every possible way. Intellectually (which isn’t hard for her because you are a complete moron), spiritually, morally, accompliishments… there’s nothing you have ever done or will do (because you’re extrememly limited) that will ever come close to her accomplishments. Go look in the mirror and say… behold the dumbass I have become… never reaching the potential of even my dog. Eric you are a total loser and there’s no curfe for the dumbass disease you’ve got. Good luck, but not too much. When one of those crazed shooters comes for you the last thing out of your mouth will be “God, please send Jeanne asap to save my dumb ass”. And God will say “FUCK YOU ERIC”.
What kind of god says “fuck you”?
Aphrodite?
Wow one of the ignorant rants I ever read. That piece of shit was passed apprehension u moron when he started killing people u fuck. U only serve to prove what’s been known for centuries, u gays r pure evil.
Just goes to show how those amyl nitrate poppers (“fag candy”) can rot the brain after a while.
You really think this shooter was going to SURRENDER? After killing that many people already?
You are sicker than he was.
The reason so many people laugh at or eve despise gays is because of brain-damaged liberal punks like you.
Yes, an active shooter does require engagement without attempting to apprehend. Ask U.S. Capitol Police officer Bruce Gibson. You can’t, he got killed trying to apprehend an active shooter he should have shot until said individual was no longer an active shooter. This sense of ‘fair play’ is great for cowboy movies, in real life it gets people killed.