On this beautiful summer Sunday, I wake up, and just about
the first thing I hear is that 20 people have been killed in an Orlando
nightclub. Wait. What? No. Not again. No
no no. This can’t be right.
Sadly, it is. Though now the count is up to 50 dead. I am trying to wrap my mind around this.
Sandy Hook, Charleston, San Bernardino. When does it stop. And of course, people jump right to
terrorism. Well, yes. Domestic Terrorism. It’s a thing. San Bernardino may have been ISIS, true.
Sandy Hook and Charleston, they were not. They were quiet home grown white
boys. Explain that to me. Go ahead. Reason it away. I dare you. I dare you to
justify elementary school age children being gunned down with a fucking
automatic weapon. Explain to me how it’s ok that people who are worshiping
their God, are shot in their own place of worship. Then tell there is no racism
anymore. I dare you.
One official said there’s a reason this happened at this
time, at this place. A reason? Let me
make clear: there is NO reason. None. What, because it’s Pride month, and it
was a gay bar? That qualified as a
fucking REASON? There. Is. No. Reason. None that I, and many others like me, will
accept. This was another senseless shooting. They say now the shooter was set
off by seeing two men kissing on the street. I say this: So. Fucking. What.
This is 2016. Times change. The LGBTQ community has been around for a Godawful
long time, for those who didn’t know.
Back in the 40’s, Cherry Grove was a closet gay community. Closet because they were afraid to be out in
the open. I find that absolutely disgusting, that 70 years later, we have not
become more accepting of who people are. Have we not evolved at least that
much? Love is love, I don’t, frankly,
give a damn who or how you love. I don’t give a damn what goes on, or with
whom, in your bedroom. As long as there is love, as long as you’re happy, and
there is no abuse, be who the fuck you are.
My heart breaks for those who lost loved ones this morning, because,
again, there was. No. Reason. Nothing can excuse this, or any other shooting
that goes on in this country.
And then there’s the gun thing. I’ve said it before: I don’t delve much into politics in public. I
have too many diverse friends to do that, to start arguments over politics. But
guns. Again, I dare you to give me one damn reason ANY civilian should have
access to an automatic weapon. Go ahead.
I’ll wait…….
First of all, a question.
Has Obama come knocking at your door and taken all your guns away
yet? Yea, I didn’t think so. Oh, Wait. I
think I just read the NRA admitted that he couldn’t do that even if he wanted
to. So there’s that. Let’s clarify this
now: No one wants to take your damn guns away. Do you have a right to protect yourself?
You do. But unless you’re expecting a damn army to attack your house, there is
absolutely no reason whatsoever to own an automatic. These guns have one
purpose, and one purpose only. To kill multiple people at once. I find it despicable that there are gun shops
where you can walk in, and with no hesitation whatsoever, buy an automatic
weapon, along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition while you’re at it. There’s
a big difference between barring guns totally and SENSIBLE gun laws.
And now, I see another attack was stopped in Los
Angeles. Some guy with weapons and
explosives was arrested going to the LA Pride parade. AT the risk of diving
into that political shitshow that I try so hard to avoid, the right is blaming
this all on Obama. No seriously. Blame it on the guy who is trying to get
SENSIBLE laws passed. Not the congress who has blocked his every attempt.
When are people going to grow the fuck up and accept that
not everyone is male, straight and white?
When are we going to stop aiming guns at anyone who is different and try
fucking talking instead. None of those people at Pulse this morning was a
threat. None of them were hurting anyone. They were celebrating who they are,
enjoying the company of friends, raising a damn toast to life. And for this,
they lost just that. There are people in this country who sometimes behave so
badly, it makes me wonder how the rest of the world really sees us. Or maybe I’m
better off not knowing.
For now, I will pray for these victims and their loved ones.
And perhaps I will offer one up for this country, if it’s not too late.
When I was in the third grade I thought that I was gay,
'Cause I could draw, my uncle was, and I kept my room straight.
I told my mom, tears rushing down my face
She's like "Ben you've loved girls since before pre-k, trippin'."
Yeah, I guess she had a point, didn't she?
Bunch of stereotypes all in my head.
I remember doing the math like, "Yeah, I'm good at little league."
A preconceived idea of what it all meant
For those that liked the same sex
Had the characteristics
The right wing conservatives think it's a decision
And you can be cured with some treatment and religion
Man-made rewiring of a predisposition
Playing God, aw nah here we go
America the brave still fears what we don't know
And "God loves all his children" is somehow forgotten
But we paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years ago
I don't know
And I can't change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
And I can't change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
My love
My love
My love
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me
Have you read the YouTube comments lately?
"Man, that's gay" gets dropped on the daily
We become so numb to what we're saying
A culture founded from oppression
Yet we don't have acceptance for 'em
Call each other faggots behind the keys of a message board
A word rooted in hate, yet our genre still ignores it
Gay is synonymous with the lesser
It's the same hate that's caused wars from religion
Gender to skin color, the complexion of your pigment
The same fight that led people to walk outs and sit ins
It's human rights for everybody, there is no difference!
Live on and be yourself
When I was at church they taught me something else
If you preach hate at the service those words aren't anointed
That holy water that you soak in has been poisoned
When everyone else is more comfortable remaining voiceless
Rather than fighting for humans that have had their rights stolen
I might not be the same, but that's not important
No freedom 'til we're equal, damn right I support it
(I don't know)
And I can't change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
My love
My love
My love
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
We press play, don't press pause
Progress, march on
With the veil over our eyes
We turn our back on the cause
'Til the day that my uncles can be united by law
When kids are walking 'round the hallway plagued by pain in their heart
A world so hateful some would rather die than be who they are
And a certificate on paper isn't gonna solve it all
But it's a damn good place to start
No law is gonna change us
We have to change us
Whatever God you believe in
We come from the same one
Strip away the fear
Underneath it's all the same love
About time that we raised up... sex
And I can't change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
And I can't change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
My love
My love
My love
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
Love is patient
Love is kind
Love is patient
Love is kind
(not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
(not crying on Sundays)
Love is kind
(I'm not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
(not crying on Sundays)
Love is kind
(I'm not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
(not crying on Sundays)
Love is kind
(I'm not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
Love is kind
No comments:
Post a Comment