Pride, Muslims and the state of hate in America

I haven't been online much this weekend because of graduation stuff, but I want to comment on the shooting in Florida. Admittedly, I've not read much about it since I've not been online much. I skimmed a few stories this morning. What I understand is that this was an act of hate - an attack on the LGBT community, and I'm sure it's no coincidence Mateen planned to execute this violence during Pride Month.

To hate a group of people that much...is unconscionable to me. I have also seen many posts hating on Muslims during the last 24 hours. Keep a few things in mind. ISIS in not a religion. It is a terrorist group. We simply cannot stop letting people into our country based on religious beliefs. Blending together our differences is much of what makes the United States great. If we turn one away, we should turn all away. Islam is a religion, and yes, has some horrible people within it, but so does every other religion on the face of the planet. Look up Christian Mass Shooters on Google. Mormons, Catholics...have all participated in mass killings.

People are also bashing Obama for letting "these people" into our country. Mateen was born and raised right here in New York. His parents are not terrorists, radicals or extremists. They and his ex-wife said he was not overly religious and don't think religion played a part in this violent act. Sure, he was a Muslim, but more so, he was a terrorist and LGBT hater. When terrorists claim they have committed violence because of their religion, there is usually another motive, be it political, social, or personal (studies have been done to support this).

I will never waiver in support of our LGBT community. I'm supporting the Pride Foundation this month through my business. I know I have alienated and probably lost some of our customers because of it, but I am okay with that. I stand behind my ideologies, my convictions, and my values.

I am proud to be a person who does not judge, stereotype, or hate others based on their race, religion, culture or sexual preference. I judge people on their character. How they treat others and live their lives.

If you want to lay blame, let's look at the gun violence itself. I don't want your guns taken away from you if you are a responsible gun owner. But it is time to admit, and the facts prove it, that the United States has too many guns within it, and those gun are killing too many people. I don't know what the answer is. I don't know how to NOT get guns in the hands of mad(wo)men and terrorists. But is seems like a good place to start would to be to limit their options. No one should be able to kill 50 people and injure numerous others single-handedly within a matter of minutes. No one.

Pants on the Ground: The Deeper Meaning

Disclaimer: The following blog is for entertainment purposes only. It's not really a political stance of any sort. It's sarcasm and satire, pure and simple.

Since I had to blog about Thing Two yesterday, I asked Thing One what to blog about today, since any kind of top four was out the door. She said, "Pants on the ground." Great. I had no idea what to say until I started thinking about the meaning behind the song and what it really is saying.

You may think Pants on the Ground is just some silly song, but it says a lot about our society. Pants on the ground. The imagery of our pants drooping with half our asses hanging out might be a metaphor about America and the path we've been heading for the past eight years. We've hung our asses out and though we've tried to hold our pants up, they've fallen down, just like our economy, making our country look foolish.

Gold in your mouth. This could be a take on the old "sticking your foot in your mouth" adage. But instead of saying something stupid, we've done something stupid by spending billions of dollars on an unnecessary war causing unneeded deaths and again, causing a collapse in our economy and the fall of the American dollar.

Hat turned sideways. This image of the hat turned sideways has negative connotations. The most common are gangs and idiots. Imagine America as a street gang, bullying all the other kids. Essentially isn't that what we've done with the Iraq war? Gone in there and thrown our weight around? And then what? We call ourselves a cool cat, looking like a fool. Um, can you say WMD?

Walking, talking, with your pants on the ground. Yep, self explanatory. We've been strutting our stuff, our last president spouting off things that don't make sense, making us all look like a band of idiots for electing him.

Get it up. It's time to take charge again. Pull up our pants, put a belt on, tighten it up. Let's stop acting foolish, stop bullying. Let's come together and maybe, just maybe we can keep our pants off the ground.

Pants On the Ground
by
Larry Platt

Intro: This is for people who need [to] pull their pants up

Pants on the ground
Pants on the ground
Lookin' like a fool with your pants on the ground

With the gold in your mouth
Hat turned sideways
Pants hit the ground
Call yourself a cool cat
Looking like a fool
Walking downtown with your pants on the ground
Get it up
Hey, get your pants off the ground
Looking like a fool
Walkin', talkin', with your pants on the ground
Get it up

Hey, get your pants off the ground
Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground
Gold in your mouth
Hat turned sideways
Pants hit the ground
Call yourself a cool cat
Looking like a fool
Walkin', talkin', with your pants on the ground
Boom, Uno, Dos, Tres
Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground
With the gold in your mouth
Hat turned sideways
Pants hit the ground
Call yourself a cool cat