ok... I'm back after kicking

ok... I'm back after kicking my ISP's ass and doing a bit of a face lift to my site. Working in IT myself, I got a good dose of the frustration and end-user can get from technical staff. I also know when I'm hearing something real and when I'm hearing bullshit. I was down for a couple of days, and to a website, that just can't happen. I was patient to a point, until I started to feel ignored. Then, I raised hell. I think what got things going was then I said that I'd drive to Trumbull, CT (where they are located), to "assist" their techs in finding the problem. I was up and running within two hours after that!

I was channel surfing the other day, and came across this movie just released for Showtime about the dragging death of James Byrd Jr. in Jasper, Texas in 1998. Of course I have read about the terrible murder along with most others in the nation with disbelief that there are those among us that are capable of doing such things. The movie has been criticized by some as being a bit slow in places, but no one can criticized the authentic nature of the event. The movie was really more of a documentary than anything else. At least it seemed that way. I remember as I was watching the prosecutor present his case against Byrd's killers, just how realistic the enlarged photos were of Byrd's body and injuries. After the movie, I did some investigation on the web concerning the movie, only to find that Mr. Byrd's parents were upset that the actual photos of the crime were used in the movie. In other words, I was seeing for myself the horrific damage these animals did to this man! I became incensed and was glad that they are now on death row in Texas. I later went back to watch TV, only this time, something a little easier to watch. I came across a nature show, and watched that for awhile. It dealt with natures deadliest predators. I found two definitions of "predator" in the dictionary:
1) An organism that lives by preying on other organisms.
2) One that victimizes, plunders, or destroys, especially for one's own gain.

I have tried to make sense for a very long time how anyone could carry out the grisly murders such as those of James Byrd and Matthew Shepard. Last night, it all came to me. They are predators. They are doing what the like to do (or need to do) without regard for their actions. Matthew's killers argued that they did it to rob him. Fine, but why take the trouble to drive him five miles out of Laramie, tie him to a fence, and beat the life out of him? There's a lot more to it than robbery. The needed to feel the rush from some sick sense of killing another human being. They hated Matthew because he was gay. In Mr. Byrd's case, they hated him because he was African American. In both cases, they did not see their victim as a human. To them, they were both sub-human, as many look to animals. Their actions were justified in their minds because these individuals were beneath them.

Indeed, when the killers of Matthew Sheppard apologized to Matthew's parents, they seemed genuine. A few minutes later when the deputy took them from the court room back to their cells, the deputy reported that they were in their cells laughing about it and were happy to get "camera time".

One of the killers of James Byrd was asked if he'd like to say anything to his parents. His reply: "They can suck my dick."

These people are predators in every sense of the work. They have no remorse for their actions, and don't even feel they've done anything wrong. And what's worse, there are many of them out there. They are everywhere. We used to think that people such as Charlie Manson was a very isolated incident. If we knew the real story behind most of the child abductions/murders in this country, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if predators such as these are behind it.

What do we do with these people? When I was in college, and even not so long ago, I was totally against the death penalty. I knew that there were rotten people in the world, but I also assumed that each of us who was sane knew what was right and wrong deep down. I no longer believe that. I think that there are people who do not live by our rules of right or wrong. I believe that we must remove these people from society. And, I believe in cases such as this that they should be put to death. I'm not subscribing to an "eye for and eye" mentality. I am saying that the people in this category, the predators, will never become a rehabilitated part of society. We can either pay for their room and board for the rest of their lives, or put an end to it. I believe that Matthew's murders should be put to death. Matthew's parents thought otherwise. Dennis Sheppard said before the sentencing of one of his son's killers:

"I would like nothing better than to see you die, Mr. McKinney. However, this is the time to begin the healing process. To show mercy to someone who refused to show any mercy. To use this as the first step in my own closure about losing Matt. Mr. McKinney, I am not doing this because of your family. I am definitely not doing this because of the crass and unwarranted pressures put on by the religious community. If anything, that hardens my resolve to see you die. Mr. McKinney, I’m going to grant you life, as hard as that is for me to do, because of Matthew. Every time you celebrate Christmas, a birthday, or the Fourth of July, remember that Matt isn’t. Every time that you wake up in that prison cell, remember that you had the opportunity and the ability to stop your actions that night. Every time that you see your cell mate, remember that you had a choice, and now you are living that choice. You robbed me of something very precious, and I will never forgive you for that. Mr. McKinney, I give you life in the memory of one who no longer lives. May you have a long life, and may you thank Matthew every day for it."

Gay-rights activists liken their mood to that of Germans as the Berlin Wall crumbled. Neighboring Canada has just decided to legalize same-sex marriage, and they have high hopes that Massachusetts' supreme court will take a similar step within a few weeks.

They predict litigation will spread to other states, and the end result - perhaps after years of lawsuits and legislative battles - will be legalized gay marriage nationwide. -- Kansas City Star
I'm going to weigh in on this subject a bit. Some gay couples I know are adamant about receiving marriage status because of civil rights issues. Others want to get married just for the sake of putting some legitimacy on their relationship. Now, after Canada has decided to grant full marriage benefits and rights to gay couples, and a Canadian marriage to a gay couple will be a full marriage in every sense of the word, we have religious leaders here in America along with many state and government agencies all worked up because this will be the end of civilization as we know it. Folks, get a grip! This is indeed a civil rights issue. If you didn't want it to be, you should have thought about that before you granted federal and state privileges to the institution of marriage. Think about that one! If there were no such privileged given to marriage, this would have remained a religious issue, and I suppose gay couples would have little ground to stand on.

Gay people are among you. We are an integral part of what makes this country (and world) work. We are in all facets of life, in industry, manufacturing, technology, and the arts. It is "altogether fitting and proper" that we would want to be equal to you in every way, shape, and form. To deny us that is to truly deny us "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". What you are doing is trying your damnedest to create a second-class citizenry, and that is unconstitutional. In the end, we will get equal rights across the board. The only way to prevent that is to change the Constitution itself, as some are indeed trying to do just that!

"Some opponents of gay marriage say their best hope, rather than fight state-by-state court battles, would be to enshrine the "man and woman" definition of marriage in the U.S. Constitution. An amendment to accomplish that goal has been introduced in Congress; it would need two-thirds approval in both the chambers and then be ratified by at least 38 states." -- The Kansas City Star
Gay marriage: civil right or domestic ruin? (Cleveland.com)
Hundreds of Gay Couples Make Their Way to Ontario to Say 'I Do' (Washington Post)
Conservatives Thunder Over Gay Marriage (The Data Lounge)
Court Battles Over Gay Marriage Expected (Kansas City Star)
Court battles over gay marriage expected to intensify in U.S. (Newsday.com)
Gay Marriage in Canada Impacts U.S. (The Data Lounge)

Finally, I'll leave you today with this. It's an excerpt from a brilliant commentary by Steve Chapman, published in the Washington Dispatch. You can read the full article here.

What created the push for gay marriage is that many homosexuals, like most heterosexuals, aren't willing to settle for the flimsier version, or for mere sexual liberty. They want all the obligations and prerogatives available to husbands and wives.

Denying marriage to gays won't prevent homosexuality, and it won't ameliorate the ills that critics associate with it. The attitude of opponents is like noticing that sick people often take antibiotics -- and deciding that if people were denied antibiotics, they wouldn't get sick. Gay marriage isn't a repudiation of the values conservative prize. It's an affirmation.