I am Fortunate

Hello Brothers, Something has happened over the past few days that has made me think…it has been on my mind so much I need to share it with people..and since y’all are the only people I really talk to you get to listen to me.  If this starts to offend please just skip a head in your reading… First let me say, …I AM AN AMERICAN…. I am an American that also happens to be gay… I am not a Gay American…To me the American come first… With that said, over the past several day the Iranian President, I will call him Akmud…his full name is too long….has given several speeches. On in which he said there were no gays in Iran…Ok this was comical, and everyone laughed…it was on all the networks…I just thought this guy was a joker…. Yesterday after noon,  on all the stations, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, they had some “experts” who were analyzing Akmud’s body language, and facial expressions… They all said the same thing, his smile was rehearsed, but there were some flashes of anger on his face…Like he really did not like being laughed at…but that he covered it pretty well… Ok, I have no reason to doubt these people, since all were saying the same thing…and they came from different areas of the news spectrum, right left center… So, I file this away in my brain, and go on… Well, yesterday, after the UN Speech, Akmud was given another chance to face the press, and of course they zero in on the “No Gays in Iran” A lady journalist, said, “Mr. President, I would like for you to elaborate on you statement of NO Gays in Iran, because I have been to Iran, and I know some Gays….” After the chuckling, he said I know of know gays in Iran, ….maybe you should give me their address, so that I can see for myself” To me, the room went silent, and there was a look on the mans face..like ..we missed one…give me their address so that we will be gay free… I do not have to say the feeling that this gave me…it had truly never registered how some people can hate on that level, and I thought, in error, that way of thinking was over in WWII. This man wants to hurt me, and he does not even know me… When I as a kid, My mother had a mantra, “only by the grace of god were you born in the United States” I realized how fortunate I am, and it really hit me last night going to be, that Kelly and I did not have to worry about people breaking into the house in the middle of the night, because we were gay…. This has me rethinking a lot of things I had mentally put on a shelf, I don’t want to swing to be a total alarmist,  but maybe I have been a little passive in my views of the threats against out great land… Maybe I need to give “W”, a little more slack???? Anyway,  I am fortunate, and grateful, and thankful, that I live in the USA, and have been given the opportunity to live my life, in peace, and be able to exchange thoughts with all of you… Thank you.. Russ

Hey Russ, I agree with you--I too often take too much for granted, in this case how fortunate I am to be an American. If I don'****ch out, I get caught up in being ticked off about all sorts of things, especially political stuff and cultural annoyances (bad drivers, cell phones in restaurants, barking dogs) and lose sight of how lucky I am to have the luxury to focus on that stuff. We are lucky and I thank you for reminding me of our great gift.

Hi Russ, I bet that we are at different ends of the polical scale, but I know of one thing we have in common and that is being proud of being an American.  Make that 2 things.  We both have weight issues.  I have never understood why anybody would want to be called anything but American.  Why say that I am a gay American, African American, Christian American etc?  That does nothing but separate us into groups.  I think saying I am an American is enough.  Be proud of it.  Say it loud.  I was against Aminijerk from being here because it is just propoganda for him back in Iran.  After I read your message I am now thinking it might have backfired on him over here.  Foxnews.com has some pictures showing what they do to Gay men in Iran.  They hang them.  They stone women for many things.  Christians are killed for having a bible.  Jews better never think of going anywhere in Iran.  If you don't believe what they tell you then you will die.  If Aminijerk, Saddam, Al Qaeda had the military that Hitler had then they would do the same thing.  In some ways they are harder to fight because they have no uniforms, no front lines, stronger smaller bombs.  Their hate is just as much as the most evil people of our past.   To find the other side that the regular media doesn't show I watch the Military and Pentagon channels.  I really wish the news media would show more of the hate and evil that we are fighting.  All we hear is how many soldiers were killed.  That does start to drain a person if they just hear how bad things are going day after day.  If they would show who the soldiers killed during the fighting, or how many schools, bridges, homes etc. we have built then maybe the opinion would be different.  It is too bad it takes Aminijerk to put the focus back on winning this war, changing hearts, and fighting evil.  Well, I better leave it at this. I can get real passionate when it comes to talking about America and the War.   Thanks! Shane . 

I think this is something that too many of us take for granted. What really brought this into focus for me was about ten years or so ago the wife and kids and I visited the left coast to see my wifes sister. While there we went to Mexico. If you stay on the main drag you see all the tourist traps but just venture down the side streets and any thing could happen. The part that really struck my kids were all the children across the border trying to sell you stuff. I told them that they were making their families living most likely.  I bought my son a pocket knife there and while I paid for it I handed it to him and he started to take it out of the bag. The lady about had a cow, she said it was legal for them to sell them to us but if he or we took it out of the bag I could get arrested. It was just a pocket knife. Needless to say I grabbed it out of his hand and carried it the rest of the day. I was afraid he would forget and pull it out and go to jail. I think freedom is just a word to most people and they don't realize what it's true meaning is and the high cost of it. Akmud as you called him hates the USA because of our freedoms. Although our country is far from perfect we enjoy the most freedoms of any nation and people on earth and we need to protect everyones freedoms, if one group of people loose their freedom then we have all lost.  I think older americans, WWII era americans really get this. They witnessed first hand what can happen and the high cost of it. My dad was in the 101st Airborne and although he didn't talk a lot about it, some of the things he did tell me just amazed me. He was in the battle of the bulge and talking about standing guard at the edge of a field and being afraid of freezing to death, not just getting shot. They thought they were blessed if they found a barn to sleep in. He told me they slept on the ground for weeks in the snow. He received a bronze star for something while there but would never tell us about it. My mom never did know what it was for and they were married for over fifty years. He also got two purple hearts, but again would never talk about it. I'll get off my soap box now.  pan heade

Hey Russ, Great message obviously from your heart so thanks for sharing. There's a tremendous amount of hatred in this big old world and Akmud  just gave us a good example of it with your example as well as his general hatred for non-islamic civilization.  Spread the word, brother!! Life is good especially in the good old US of A. How fortunate we are indeed. Boner

Hi Russ,

I wonder if it's true hatred, or if it's just the way people have to think in the "either or" world of religious fundamentalism? ("straight" or "sinner", choose one).

Then, there's the other one I've seen in Asia: "I've never met anyone who's said they were gay, so gays must not exist here." (this was 20+ years ago in Taiwan and China).

Just things I've observed in the diverse cultures of China, Japan, the bible belt and Utah...

You are fortunate, though (as we all are) that you can be yourself, be loved and not be judged

Dave

 

Another ramble:

Hate crimes against gays, nationalities or anything else are virtually none-existent in east Asia.

Whereas in the west, there is the tendancy to believe that most behavior is intentional and deliberate (maybe the root of the concept of "transgression?"). Here people tend to believe that most behavior and preferences are innate.

Not that certain behavior doesn't give some people the "willies". In Asia, as it used to be in most of the world, bringing up babies is the main reason for living (working takes a close second). People who are gay or choose not to procreate stand out because they stray too far from the way of procreation.

On a side note, believing that behavior, preferences and personality are mostly innate affects, can have some negative effects. Treatment of conditions such as autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder is very undeveloped, because these are aspects of "personality." This is just the way these people "are."

Sorry if I've gone too far off the thread,

Dave

 

     I'm an American, but I'm proud to be a Polish American even thought my ancestry is Polish, Slovac, and Lithuanian.   I'm also glad that I'm a Roman Catholic.  But, most of my pride about what I am other than an American doesn't usually come up unless I am in the company of others who share those distinctions.      I do understand the problems others face as they are identified as being part of a group that may not be popular.  I don't know how I'd feel if I lived in an area that didn't think that Catholics are Christians (strangely enough, there are people who feel that way).        One was to avoid attention because of one's status as something other than an American or as a former obese person is simply not to mention it.  I respect your right to identify yourself as more than an American.  As a Roman Catholic, I accept you as a gay person even thought I don't respect a gay lifestyle.  But, as my favorite preacher, Fth Bendedict Groeschel points out, heterosexuals commint far mor sexual sins that homosexuals.  And, he has a special ministry to homosexuals (among other ministries). 

Russ -
He man. I'm glad i was not the only one that heard and saw that either. Even though I am not gay, I have MANY friends that are. I love them just like anyone else. I wanted to take all my anger out on him and....well u can imagine.
Ignorance like that should not tolerated!!
Keep ur head up! We are blessed to live in this free country.

Later -

Sean

Hey Russ, I heard what that guy said and thought it more humurous than anything. You brought it home to me about how hateful it was.  We take it for granted what we have here.  This place would be awful boring if everyone was the same.  We are indeed fortunate.  For the most part we can live as we want.  I try to teach my kids 2 main things, Respect of others and truthfullness.  I never want to see them making fun of anyone.  You can lose out so much if you alienate yourself from 1 particular group.

Thanks for sharing,

Brian