I did venture out of the truck a bit in this area. The snow was drifted in pretty hard, and it was solid enough in most places to keep me from breaking through. Of course, once I got way out there, I’d sink past my knees. Grrrr.
Bale out
Reply
Fight the insidious homosexual agenda’s advance in North Dakota
I would gladly have given testimony at the Judiciary Committee hearing yesterday, but couldn’t make it. I have, however, sent emails to my legislators. I urge you to do the same. It wouldn’t hurt to follow up with a phone call. The text of my email is below, and you can feel free to cut/paste relevant portions of it for your own email.
–Begin message–
I’m a constituent of District 30, and unfortunately was unable to attend the judicial committee meeting on SB 2278 this week. This is the bill to amend state law regarding discrimination by adding the term “sexual orientation”. I’m writing to voice my strong opposition to this bill. I have tried to find information on the status of this bill, but have been unable to do so. If it continues to the floor for a vote, I must urge you to vote NO on this bill, and to urge your fellow Representatives to do so as well.
Like those who founded our country, I’m a Christian. Because I believe the Bible, I believe that homosexuality and its variants are wrong. It’s my Constitutionally protected right to think so, and to exercise my beliefs freely. The people behind SB 2278 don’t agree with that; in fact, they want to legitimize their sinful act at the expense of the religious freedoms of others.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those wacky Westboro types that pickets funerals and the like. I actually joined the Patriot Guard to oppose those people. But I don’t appreciate having someone try to ram their sexual agenda down the throats of North Dakotans. I believe that homosexuality is an abomination according to the Bible, but so is ALL sin. That includes theft, adultery, lying, etc. Just because the physical manifestation of homosexuality is more offensive than the others doesn’t mean we’re singling it out. By the same token, we don’t have “thieves advocacy groups” pushing legislation trying to legitimize their sin, do we? There aren’t any “Liars’ Pride” parades that I know of. But there is a very strong pro-homosexual lobby; they seek to be legitimized by passing legislation guaranteeing that they get special status above other citizens, and that’s wrong.
One reason why legislation like this has been labeled “insidious” by legislators in other states such as Indiana which are evaluating “hate crimes” legislation is the “aid ,abet, or induce” part of it. If “sexual orientation” is added to this law, and a pastor preaches out of the Bible that homosexuality is wrong, these groups intend for the pastor to be prosecuted for any perceived “hate cimes” or “discrimination” against homosexuals by anyone who heard his sermon. They are not really interested in equal rights; their goal is to silence all opposition to their sin. They know that it is frowned upon by most Americans, so they wish to legislate the opposition into silence by fear of prosecution.
Case in point: my wife and I own a duplex. For years we have rented the other half of it to help make our house payment. We’ve rented to friends or acquaintances the whole time. If I wanted to list it as an available rental property, but declined to rent it to a homosexual couple because I don’t want this sin entering my home, the proponents of this bill would have me face legal penalty. My religious objections, guaranteed by the Free Exercise clause of the 1st Amendment as well as the section of ND state law that SB 2278 attempts to amend, would be irrelevant if these people had their way. I am not seeking legislation to hang Bible verses on the wall in their house; yet they are seeking the force of government to force me to allow their sin into mine.
People who chose homosexuality deserve no more protection under the law than the rest of us. They don’t want “equality” per se; if that was the case, they would not be trying to use the force of law to trump my freedom of religion. I believe that seemingly innocuous legislation like SB 2278 is the beginning of a slippery slope where the “rights” of people with deviant sexual practices take priority over the Constitutional freedoms guaranteed to all Americans. That’s the hidden agenda behind SB 2278, and the reason why I believe it deserves a resounding defeat.
Thank you for your time.
Clint F
Bismarck, ND
–End message–
I could add more to this post, but that email sums it up. Here are some resources for you in finding your legislators and making your voice heard. That’s the system of government we enjoy, folks…let’s make use of it!
These links will open in a new window. The PDF link will launch Adobe Reader on your computer.
Full text of SB 2278 (PDF format)
Find your legislative district, if you don’t know it already
Senate member directory, where you can find Senators for your legislative district
House member directory, where you can find Representatives for your legislative district
North Dakota Family Alliance, who fights the good fight while the rest of us neglect our duty to influence our government.
It’s time to get active, folks! Activist groups emboldened by their party’s success at the national level are going to be pushing their agendas harder than ever. It’s up to us to stop them. We have a form of government that only works if the people get involved in it. Our opposition has no problem getting their activists going; we need to do the same. If we don’t care enough to send an email or place a phone call, we get the government we deserve.
It’s about time for another windmill
Laughing our way to a better marriage
One of the things we found really interesting was the Flag Page Test, which they did with a sample couple from the audience. As with many couples, they tested as somewhat opposites. After bringing them up on stage and showing us their scores, he asked them a variety of questions and had them pegged right on with each question. The goal is to help you understand your spouse better by finding out what matters most to them, then finding out how best to satisfy their needs. It’s really cool.
Two things I really agree with from this weekend: One is that the feminization of our culture (especially the churches) is doing the men of our nation a horrible disservice. Another is that a strong marriage isn’t about changing who we are, but about realizing how to best give our spouse the type of love and affirmation they need. That starts by figuring out just what in the world that type is, as I described above.
There were so many gold nuggets in the two days of presentation, I can’t list them all. I do know that we will be buying his book by the same name, which goes into greater detail and gives specific citations of the studies that he mentions in his presentation.
Stacy and I had originally scheduled a “date night” for this Friday, with our friends taking the toddlers for a sleepover. Then we found out about the Laugh Your Way presentation and decided to attend as part of our date. My wife’s persistence paid off in being a lucky caller to KNDR to win a pair of tickets, which left money in our Date Fund to spring for a nice meal at the Walrus and some swag at the event. It was all time and money well spent. Even a healthy marriage needs maintenance, and we intend our marriage to last. Part of that, by the way, is my decision to not take my ubiquitous camera along on our dates, thus the less-than-stellar cellular phone picture above.
Everyone Knows It’s Windy II
North Dakota bus stop
A snow plow story with a happy ending
I do have a happy story to tell you about an encounter with a snow plow (well, payloader with a blade and snow gate) a week or so ago. I have a sidewalk across my boulevard that I never use, so I don’t shovel it. This night, however, my mom was over to babysit and I didn’t want her having to deal with the deep snow. As a result, I was out with my spade and grain shovel, dutifully chopping at the snow berm pushed up by recent plow passes.
I’m a “letter of the law” kind of guy when I get belligerent, and the snow on either side of the walk I’d cleared was quite high. Therefore, once I got to the end of the sidewalk and past the curb, I started pitching the snow forward instead of to the side. After all, I was not putting snow from private property onto public; rather, I was just rearranging the snow already on the street. At least, that’s how I saw it.
The aforementioned snow removal operator pulled up in front of me, saw what I was doing, and came to a stop. I actually expected a window or door to open and some sort of scolding to come my way; after all, it was about the time that the radio stations were airing reports of citizens being cited for throwing snow into alleys or onto roads. I couldn’t have been more surprised with what happened next.
The operator backed up, dropped his (or her) blade, and pushed the snow I’d just chiseled my way through. He cleared the area in front of my sidewalk and part of my boulevard, and cut a nice clear path along the curb for much of my yard. He angled his loader in such a way that it pushed the snow out of the way and up onto the boulevard. In a matter of seconds, and with one single swipe, he’d done more than I could have with my silly little spade.
It was dark and the loader had plenty of lights on it, so I couldn’t see into the cab. But as the loader backed up from pushing the snow out of the way, I threw the operator a friendly wave and salute. They then continued on their way up the street. It didn’t cost them even a full minute of their time, but it saved me a lot more than that. I’m going to remember this encounter the next time I get frustrated with snow on my street or alley. Apparently there are some pretty nice folks operating those machines, even if they can’t get to everybody’s neighborhood as quickly as we’d like.
Sundog cross
I’ve been experiencing some cabin fever lately; I haven’t been able to go out with my camera much this year at all. Thankfully, when I say “this year” it’s only mid-January! But I did get a plethora of awesome shots this afternoon, having left the office at noon to enjoy some Taco del Mar with a friend and taking the rest of the week off. Unfortunately, when I say “rest of the week” it’s already Friday afternoon!
There were amazing sundogs today (or parhelion, to be technical) that I’m sure were witnessed by all. The reason was a combination of clear skies, fierce winds, and plenty of snow to kick up in the air. Those ice crystals form the oddly-shaped rainbows on either side of the sun, giving the government a convenient scapegoat for UFO reports!
Citizens’ Night at the legislature
This is a fantastic idea for the North Dakota state government, and I’m glad they did it again this session. I posted about it two years ago during the previous session, and I’ve been looking forward to it ever since.
After the night was wound down, I hung out quietly and patiently until I had the Great Hall of the state capitol to myself. I then ran around with my camera and tripod for a while; this is the only occasion I can think of where a regular citizen can see the inside of this wing of the capitol all lit up at night! I’ll post those pictures soon.
Souvenir from a friend whose birthday is today
I have a box of souvenirs, tapes, and other stuff from my job at the TV station, including the newspaper clipping of the Help Wanted ad I answered when I applied for the job. Of all the items in that box, this little statue ranks among the most meaningful. I’d been meaning to take a picture of it for a while, but since it’s Jody’s birthday today I thought it was a good time to bump the photos I was going to post for a few days.
Jody had a link on Facebook to her KFYR-TV Blog entry today, and the story she related reminded me of what a genuine person she is. That is probably obvious even in her on-air demeanor, but I can’t tell; I’ve never seen Jody on TV without already knowing her. I’m not writing this to flatter or embarrass; however, in a business where newsrooms should have revolving doors installed for the people who come and go, certain people stand out. In my 21 years of working in the media business I have met and/or worked with a handful of TV and radio personalities who I think deserve mention. I’ve written about some of them, and this is a perfect opportunity to share this story.
Happy Birthday, Jody! I know it was a bittersweet day, according to what you’ve written. I agree with your take on what’s important, and I’m learning more every day now that I’m a Daddy. As far as reaching out to an old friend, this is how I thought I’d give it a try.