Sigh.
Much disappointment at the disappointment of people all over NJ last week, thanks to the hysteria that persists. I maintain that we are in a state of social civil war in this country. It is those of us that believe in equality overall--for instance, that all people should have the right to healthcare, education, safety, etc., are against those who believe that your life is perfect if God loves you, so if your life isn't perfect, God obviously doesn't love you, so go die so you can go to hell faster. Preferably, go die in a state of ignorance, or of a disease that you can't afford treatment for, or because someone who has the ability to own as many guns as he or she wants can shoot you dead because he or she doesn't like you. It truly is us against them and "they" don't want to work with "us." We're either with them, or against them. That's the real crisis this country is in now--not if you can watch Food Network or not.
I would like to work with "them," to achieve better. But since their equivalent of working together is to stick fingers in ears and sing "LALALALALA" at the top of their lungs, I will fully admit to it; I am against them.
Okay, what this stems from--Brian's picture breaks my heart, or whatever little heart I've got. That just sucks. Why make people's lives suck any more than they already do? I have an aversion to marriage as a SOCIAL (read: not religious, or emotional if you're not religious) construction overall, for anyone, regardless of orientation, for many reasons--but currently mostly because of my parents. Thanks to marriage and the laws being what they are, my mother is legally obligated to pay for my father should his medical bills exceed his income before he dies. It is not his fault, nor her fault that he got this disease. Yet, if that should happen, she legally has the right to keep one house, one car, her current income (i.e., whatever is to come in without what she already has) and a little over $100,000. I know that sounds gratuitous, but look at it this way. Let's say she had a million dollars in a bank account because she saved so much a week every single week she has lived her whole life. Guess what. Because she is married, that million bucks says bye bye and goes to support him before Medicaid kicks in. This is an improvement, folks. About 20 years ago, she would have been totally bankrupted. Her house, her car, and EVERY SINGLE ASSET BELONGING TO HER, regardless of if it was owned jointly, would have been liquidated and given to a nursing home. There were homeless senior citizens because their spouses had the beyond awful fortune to be so sick they had to be in nursing homes. Obviously, God didn't love either of them and took all of their money away, right? I could spit. ---Anyway, this law was changed, but it still isn't right. What's left? She has the option of divorcing my father. Should she really have to divorce a man with Alzheimer's? Does she really have to endure that, too?
What was I getting at here? I don't want to go on my "I don't support the marriage of anyone as a social institution" rant because that upsets people, and people misinterpret it because the don't understand my views on it. That isn't the point of this post. What is the point? I suppose it's my newest saying since this past week, "life is constructed of the stupid things that people do to each other" (cue a tip of the hat to Albert Ellis). Everything is always in some sort of flux. I think we cause a great deal of it ourselves, just because of the power to say "no" to any sort of change that anyone suggests. It's sad.
In other news, support Labour! Down with the Tories! (Yes, because I follow the political situations of two countries, and I know no one would believe me saying this now once they read the headline of the article, but the prospect of Cameron being elected has always scared the pants off of me, even before I started watching certain shows).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8449895.stm
I would like to work with "them," to achieve better. But since their equivalent of working together is to stick fingers in ears and sing "LALALALALA" at the top of their lungs, I will fully admit to it; I am against them.
Okay, what this stems from--Brian's picture breaks my heart, or whatever little heart I've got. That just sucks. Why make people's lives suck any more than they already do? I have an aversion to marriage as a SOCIAL (read: not religious, or emotional if you're not religious) construction overall, for anyone, regardless of orientation, for many reasons--but currently mostly because of my parents. Thanks to marriage and the laws being what they are, my mother is legally obligated to pay for my father should his medical bills exceed his income before he dies. It is not his fault, nor her fault that he got this disease. Yet, if that should happen, she legally has the right to keep one house, one car, her current income (i.e., whatever is to come in without what she already has) and a little over $100,000. I know that sounds gratuitous, but look at it this way. Let's say she had a million dollars in a bank account because she saved so much a week every single week she has lived her whole life. Guess what. Because she is married, that million bucks says bye bye and goes to support him before Medicaid kicks in. This is an improvement, folks. About 20 years ago, she would have been totally bankrupted. Her house, her car, and EVERY SINGLE ASSET BELONGING TO HER, regardless of if it was owned jointly, would have been liquidated and given to a nursing home. There were homeless senior citizens because their spouses had the beyond awful fortune to be so sick they had to be in nursing homes. Obviously, God didn't love either of them and took all of their money away, right? I could spit. ---Anyway, this law was changed, but it still isn't right. What's left? She has the option of divorcing my father. Should she really have to divorce a man with Alzheimer's? Does she really have to endure that, too?
What was I getting at here? I don't want to go on my "I don't support the marriage of anyone as a social institution" rant because that upsets people, and people misinterpret it because the don't understand my views on it. That isn't the point of this post. What is the point? I suppose it's my newest saying since this past week, "life is constructed of the stupid things that people do to each other" (cue a tip of the hat to Albert Ellis). Everything is always in some sort of flux. I think we cause a great deal of it ourselves, just because of the power to say "no" to any sort of change that anyone suggests. It's sad.
In other news, support Labour! Down with the Tories! (Yes, because I follow the political situations of two countries, and I know no one would believe me saying this now once they read the headline of the article, but the prospect of Cameron being elected has always scared the pants off of me, even before I started watching certain shows).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8449895.stm