The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

As soon as he got news of her pregnancy, he darted. Absent throughout their kid's entire childhood, the single mother was unable to track him. When she finally did, she took the matter to the courts. For the past year, she's continually seen her child-support payments delayed by the courts in an uber-red, anti-women's rights state. Unfortunately, due to said delays and the costs which come with them, she's reached the point of potentially having to give up her legal fight, in not possessing the funds necessary to continue it. This greatly upsets me. As the saying goes, "It takes two to tango." How is it right or fair for all the financial weight to be placed on a mother's shoulders, and for her to then reach the point of legal surrender, due to the slow, backwards court system of a Republican-led state, and for the absent father to be permitted to continue being void of any responsibility for the child?  I've created a GoFundMe for this strong, intelli...

While protests may be fairly common, there's been a significant uptick in them since Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20th. From the Women's March on Washington to chants of "No ban! No wall!" and beyond, Donald Trump's presidency has attracted protesters like Tom Brady attracts deflated balls. Since the inception of these protests, I've heard conservatives ask countless times, "What's the point? What are they protesting against? Where were these protests when Obama was elected? What do they have to complain about?" Well, allow me to answer those questions... What all these protests have in common is a fight for equality, which many conservatives have falsely branded as a fight for socialism. The majority of conservatives I've spoken to who have derided the protests as pointless and counterproductive are white, male, straight, and Christian. I, myself, happen to be white, male, straight, and was born and raised in a Christian hous...

As I often do on Twitter anymore, I was busy poking fun of Donald Trump last night. One of the top trending hashtags was #5WordTrumpSlogans. I posted approximately ten such hashtags, one of which was, "Offending Everyone Without Any Consequences." To this, I heard from a self-described constitutional conservative, who said, "They only people offended are anti-white #RadicalMarxists like you," later adding, "Anti-white muslim supporters." That's right, ladies and gentlemen; I've been busted. As a white person myself, I'm apparently anti-white, and therefore anti-self. Yes, it perplexes me as well... It's ironically hilarious this man describes himself as a constitutional conservative, yet labels me as anti-white and pro-Muslim, for while I don't adhere to any religion myself, I believe everyone has the constitutional right to believe in whatever faith they so choose, including Christians, and yes, Muslims. Apparently, this constituti...

Since Barack Obama was elected president in November of 2008, Republican legislators have been working effortlessly to pass laws requiring some form of voter ID in order to vote. These very Republicans said such laws were needed to prevent voter fraud, while most Democrats felt it was just an attempt to reduce voter turnout within certain demographics which tended to vote Democratic, namely minorities and women. Did Republicans hold a legitimate concern about voter fraud? According to statistics, not really. In a comprehensive study published by Loyola Law School professor Justin Levitt of the Washington Post in 2014, it was found that there were 31 credible cases of voter fraud out of one billion ballots cast since 2000 (0.000000031%). In other words, there's a greater chance of me transforming into a werewolf named Jack Nicholson overnight tonight than there is of a credible voting fraud case on election day. To no one's surprise, the conservative state of Alabama followe...

Last night, I read an article by a pastor by the name of Rob Shepherd with regard to the Supreme Court's gay marriage ruling and how people on both sides of the marriage equality debate should be more empathetic of one another. To his credit, Shepherd wrote in a very respectful manner and seemed to genuinely believe what he was saying. In most instances, I'd say he makes a great point, but I don't think that's the case here. Both he and Fox News' Bill O'Reilly made sports analogies with regard to the public's reaction, saying that those celebrating were like sore winners, rubbing the victory in the face of their opponents, I'm sorry, but I just don't see things like that. I see it more like an athlete, embattled with health issues for most of his or her life, fighting through to qualify in and win a gold medal in the Olympics, and celebrating. This is what the LGBT community has had do deal with for all of their lives. Many tried to deny who they w...

I've felt for some time that Mike Huckabee has been veering further and further to the side I like to refer to as "crazy town," but based on his most recent such comments, it appears as if the man has now officially lost it and will now be permanently residing in crazy town. During a recent conference call with conservative pastors, organized by the uber-conservative Family Research Council, Huckabee made the following comments: - "Christian convictions are under attack as never before. Not just in our lifetime, but ever before in the history of this great nation. We are moving rapidly towards the criminalization of Christianity." - "If the courts rule that people have a civil right not only to be a homosexual but a civil right to have a homosexual marriage, then a homosexual couple coming to a pastor who believes in biblical marriage who says 'I can't perform that wedding' will now be breaking the law. It's not just saying, 'I...

I often times regret studying psychology in college, because it's led to me having a tendency to over-analyze everything, and not only that, but ten years after I graduated, I've yet to utilize the degrees I earned a great deal. However, once in a while, what I learned through the course of college, especially in the field of psychology, pays its dividends, where I'll have an "ah-ha!" moment and think to myself, "Now, if I hadn't have studied psychology, I probably wouldn't have thought of that." Such was the case when recently thinking about the Indiana RFRA law (Religious Freedom Restoration Act) and how many Christians positively reacted to it.  It really befuddled me to hear Christians say such things as the following in response to the passage of the bill and the backlash it received:  - "We're not discriminating against anyone! Liberals are discriminating against us for our beliefs!" - "What these liberals want...

While it's typically the far right-wing politicians whom I criticize for their anti-gay remarks, once in a while, I'll come across a Democratic politician who makes similar remarks and I'll criticize him (or her) all the same. That's indeed what happened when Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear made the following comment in a brief filed for the Supreme Court with regard to the state's same-sex marriage ban: "Kentucky's marriage laws treat homosexuals and heterosexuals the same and are facially neutral. Men and women, whether heterosexual or homosexual, are free to marry persons of the opposite sex under Kentucky law, and men and women, whether heterosexual or homosexual, cannot marry persons of the same sex under Kentucky law." Governor Beshear deserves a standing ovation of the slow-clap variety for that ridiculous statement. When reading it over again, I can hear Chris Tucker's character from the Rush Hour series, looking at the Kentucky governo...

Ever since Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed the controversial RFRA bill (Religious Freedom Restoration Act) and Walkerton, Indiana pizza shop Memories Pizza stated they'd never provide pizzas for gay wedding celebrations, only to receive a great deal of backlash from moderates and progressives, many conservatives have decided to respond with the following argument: "Weren't liberals supposed to be the people all about tolerance? Them speaking out against our beliefs and calling us homophobes just goes to show how big of hypocrites they really are!" This isn't the first time I've heard such an argument. I've heard it used before, often times with regard to the battle over the rights of the LGBT community. I'm sorry to upset these conservatives, but they're sorely mistaken, for speaking out against those preventing equality is not the same as speaking out against equality. While I and many other progressives may not agree with conservatives o...

In an interview, Major League umpire Dale Scott recently revealed that he's gay. Scott didn't make a big deal about this, as he's been with his partner for 28 years, and said the following on the matter: "I am extremely grateful that Major League Baseball has always judged me on my work and nothing else. ... Obviously, when I sent that picture (to the magazine, of he and his partner), I knew exactly what it meant. In a small way, this was opening that door in a publication that wasn't going to be circulated nationwide. It could be picked up, but it's not Time magazine. I made that decision to go ahead and do it because I felt it was the right thing to do. I realized that it could open a Pandora's Box, but this is not a surprise to Major League Baseball, the people I work for. It's not a surprise to the umpire staff." Commissioner Bud Selig responded to the interview with the following statement: "For 29 years, Dale Scott has been an ou...

As difficult a time as I have understanding male politicians pushing against women attaining equal rights, I have an even more difficult time understanding female politicians doing something similar. In the upcoming midterm elections, Republican Monica Wehby will be challenging Democrat Jeff Merkley for an Oregon Senate seat. On Sunday, KGW's Laural Porter asked Ms. Wehby the following question: "What about equal pay for equal -- for women? You said you'd vote against that, and it doesn't seem to go along with what you represent." In response, Wehby said this: "I would absolutely favor any legislation that supports equal pay for women, but this was a flawed piece of legislation. It did not take into account experience, hours worked, education. I would be more concerned that it would make it more difficult for businesses to hire women, because of the fear of lawsuits. They would tend to steer away. And I think that that's an unintended consequence ...

Florida Republican Senator and man voted most likely to become an elderly superhero by the name of Mr. Dry-Mouth - Marco Rubio - recently made the following remarks at Catholic University: "[While recognizing that] our history is marred by discrimination against gays and lesbians, traditional marriage has such an extraordinary record of success at raising children. Today, there is a growing intolerance on this issue, intolerance towards those who continue to support traditional marriage. And I promise you that even before this speech is over, I will be attacked as a hater, a bigot or someone who is anti-gay. This intolerance in the name of tolerance is hypocrisy." He also added this: "Supporting the definition of marriage between one man and one woman is not anti-gay, it is pro-traditional marriage. And if support for traditional marriage is bigotry, then Barack Obama was a bigot until just before the 2012 election." I've touched on this issue before, ...

Recently, I've read a few articles (and comments) about men's rights groups and men's rights conferences, where the central focus is on the oppression of men's rights and fighting for equality. Yes, you read that right. While I believe people should have equal rights regardless of age, race, gender, creed, orientation, etc., do some men seriously believe their rights have been oppressed when compared to women in this country? That's interesting... Well, allow me to take their concerns seriously and break things down for them: Congress: 436 women (81.5%) and 99 men (18.5%) Presidents: 44 women (100.0%) and 0 men (0.0%) Pay: Men make $0.77 to the $1.00 women make, and women in Congress seem reluctant on closing the gap CEOs of Fortune 500 companies: 95.8% women, 4.2% men Sexual assaults: 90% men, 10% women Reproductive rights: Women in Congress have made it more difficult for men to purchase condoms Pregnancy: Women in Congress have also tried barring me...

The slippery slope is a fairly popular fallacy used by far-right conservatives when attempting to delegitimize the concept of gay marriage. It usually goes something like this: "Marriage should be between one man and one woman. If we allow gay people to marry, then what? Why not make marrying more than one person at a time legal? Why not make marrying an animal legal? If gay marriage becomes legal, pretty soon polygamy and bestiality will be legal!" Well, GOPers may now want to exclude that bestiality bit from their fallacy, because as a recent story suggests, bestiality doesn't follow gay marriage's lead at all - quite the opposite. Allow me to introduce Ruben Chance James Fox and his wife, Amber Nicole Fox. The fact their last name is the same as that of an animal is merely a coincidence. They're both 23 years old and living in North Carolina. So, what does the young couple like to do in their spare time? Apparently, Ruben enjoys recording his wife having ...

With the Minnesota House approving a bill by the count of 75-59, which would make it the 12th state to allow same-sex marriage, Republican Representative Peggy Scott said, "My heart breaks for Minnesota. It's a divisive issue that divides our state. It's not what we needed to be doing at this time. We want to come together for the state of Minnesota, we don't want to divide it." Fellow Minnesotan and gay marriage opponent Julie Burt reacted to the vote with these words: "I feel sorry for our world. But the world has turned. The world has turned to a place that wants immediate gratification. And it breaks my heart. Breaks my heart for my children and my grandchildren." Yes, my heart also breaks for these heterosexual Minnesotans, whom have never had to deal with condemnation from Christians, Supreme Court hearings, robo calls, votes, muggings - violence or discrimination of any kind due to their orientation, like homosexuals have. My heart does brea...

With there being the possibility that the Supreme Court could make gay marriage legal across this country, the gay marriage debate has been running more rampant than ever. Over the past few days, I've read through a number of these debates, which have typically included at least one person saying something along these lines - "I have no problem with gays, but I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. Why are the so-called tolerant liberals getting on my case about that? It's my opinion. As an American, I have that right. It makes me laugh that you all call me a bigot, yet you won't accept my opinion as is. Who's the bigot now?" What these very anti-gay marriage individuals seem to be missing is that most of us pro-gay marriage progressives aren't saying they don't have a right to their own opinion. If a person doesn't approve of homosexuality, while I may not agree with him/her, I'm not going to say he/she doesn't have a right to t...

 Anti-feminist and former man, Suzanne Venker, just recently wrote an article for FoxNews.com , which is called "The war on men." What is this "war on men" the ex hairy-chested gentlewoman is talking about? It revolves around one Pew Research Center poll, which claims that while more women are wanting to get married, more men are not (37% of women, up from 28% in 1997 and 29% of men, down from 35% that same year). What is this femi-man's reason for this change among the two sexes regarding marriage? I'll let her explain it to you herself: "Women aren't women anymore." I honestly wasn't aware of a sex-change epidemic that was running rampant in this country until reading those four words. Is the woman I'm dating now a former man, like Ms./Mr. Venker? I may have to ask for her medical records in light of this breaking news story! Venker continued with this: "In a nutshell, women are angry. They're also defensive, thou...

I wrote a blog about this yesterday, but upon reading some other comments on the matter, felt the need to write another.  I read several comments from conservatives which read something like this, "When Christianity/The Bible gets haters, where were these same liberals to defend them? They say they believe in tolerance, but not if they don't agree with it..." I am a self-described liberal. I think what many conservatives lose sight of in these types of arguments is that they seriously believe the rich, white men (white straight men), the church/Christianity are all under attack. This is what many of them believe. They truly feel that these individuals'/groups' rights are slowly being trampled upon. As a liberal, I can say that I believe in the rights of white men (white straight men - I happen to be one), of rich folk, of Christians/Christian churches. I believe all of these groups of people and organizations deserve equal rights under the law/Constitution....

First, here is the letter to which I will be responding: "President Barack Obama has done a 180-degree turn from his view in 2008 that marriage should be between a man and a woman. I find it curious that he says he wants states to legislate this matter for themselves, but when it comes to other issues, such as Arizona’s right to protect its borders, he is against that autonomy. The real question is: “What’s the big deal about gay marriage?” I mean, it doesn’t really hurt anyone, right? Wrong. It hurts those who practice the behavior. Studies show emotional and psychological harm not only to the partners, but also to those close to them, including their adopted children. Health risks abound with the AIDS epidemic. Isn’t it odd that a monogamous, heterosexual couple, celibate until marriage, have zero chance of contracting AIDS (barring intravenous drug use)? Maybe God, who claims infinite wisdom, really knows what he is talking about. There also are financial repercu...

When it comes to people crying out that they're having their rights with regard to religion stripped from them in this country, I find they're typically of the Christian faith. This country is predominantly Christian and has been for as long as I can remember (further back than that, as I'm only 30). Without prayer in public schools, The Ten Commandments displayed on government buildings, creationism taught in school, people uttering the words happy holidays in December, the separation of church and state, etc., some like to clamor that their rights are being taken from them - that Christians are the ones being persecuted in this country. I find this almost comical for how ridiculous it is, yet also very common in like scenarios. When a person or group of people possess more rights than others, when said others obtain equal rights, it may feel to the first group of people that their rights have become fewer. That's not the case. It's just the fact that the others ...