The Other Side of the Coin

Yesterday I told you about that Neanderthal Judge in Denton County and his crock of shit document.  Today I would like to tell you of someone , also from a suburb of Fort Worth, who is definitely on the other side of the coin philosophically from Judge DipShit in Denton.  Towleroad.com alerted me to this Facebook post by the Mayor of Burleson, Ken Shetter.  Burleson is a community of 40,000 mostly rabidly conservative folks located just South of Fort Worth.  Mayor Shetter posted the following in response to a challenge from a constituent regarding the Mayor's stance on the SCOTUS Affirmation of Marriage Equality for All:

Last week I was challenged by a citizen as follows:

    I need our mayor Ken Shetter, who has had some posts on my FB wall, post that he is happy with the supreme court ruling on gay marriage, or anyone else that is OK with gay marriage, to quote me a bible verse, that states gay marriage is acceptable to God, the Almighty!!! Just pick a book, old or new testament, that has a verse or chapter, from God, that says he condones this type of behavior!! Good luck!! If you do not quote a bible verse by book & chapter, don't bother replying!! - no replies in this manner will mean you know it is wrong in the eyes of God...I'm not real smart, but I do know that 2 men can't have a birth child & neither can 2 women, adoption ruled out. All of us are here because of 1 man & 1 woman. Anything else is taught by someone other than God! Is anyone that reads this, ready to stand before the almighty, on their judgement day, and say gay marriage is OK with them. I'm afraid praying for mercy on your soul, will not work, in god's eyes. Begging for forgiveness from God, of your foolishness, is out of my control!

I'm going to respond, not in point-counter-point style, but by trying to articulate my views as mayor and then as a Christian. I can't stress strongly enough I am not attempting to create, extend or participate in a debate. I am not trying to change anyone's opinions or express disrespect for any particular point-of-view, just to explain my own.

As the mayor, I congratulate LGBT citizens of Burleson on their right to marry. Further, I am pleased the Supreme Court's ruling is just one of many ways we are telling members of the LGBT community (particularly LGBT youth) they are fully accepted and valued participants in our society--no matter where they live.

I have strong and long-held Christian beliefs. Obviously those beliefs inform and ultimately help shape my views and the decisions I make as a public servant. It would be impossible for me to completely separate my spiritual beliefs from my role as mayor. However, I believe the separation of church and state, as written into the First Amendment to the Constitution, forbids me from allowing my Christian beliefs (or any other religious beliefs) to dictate policy or official action. So, I will not quote any verse of the Bible in justifying my mayoral views. I will simply say I will uphold the Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court of the United States (that's how it works in our system, at least since Marbury v. Madison). I will also be true to my commitment to do everything within my power to make Burleson a great place to live, learn, work and play for all...And all includes gay citizens of Burleson.

For anyone who feels the statement above infringes upon their rights as a Christian, I would hasten to say I am bound by the free exercise clause of the First Amendment just as much as the separation clause. My views as public servant do not in any way inhibit your ability to exercise your religious beliefs, no matter how they relate to the issue of gay marriage.

On a personal level, I celebrate the right of my gay friends to be married, as well as the fact they are accepted and embraced more fully in today's society. I do so not in spite of my Christian beliefs, but at least partially because of my Christian beliefs.

I know some who read this will immediately begin making a list of bible verses to contradict my belief that the teachings of Jesus lead me to accept and embrace my gay friends without a "not accepting their lifestyle" qualifier. Adam Hamilton, a very well-respected Methodist minister, summed up my views more succinctly than I possibly could:

    The Bible, in its writing, content, and canonization, is wonderfully complex and we do not do it justice, nor are we always able to discern God’s will, simply by quoting a handful of verses. If it worked this way we’d still embrace slavery, polygamy, and concubinage. Victims of rape would still be forced to wed their rapists. We’d not allow women to serve as pastors; but rather, we’d require them to remain silent in the church.

There are a lot of people I love and respect who have a "believe every word literally or believe none of it" view of the Bible, but my analytical brain won't let me do that. As I have sought to gain a greater understanding of the Bible and God's will throughout and for my life, I have focused on the words of Jesus, the nature of God and what it means to truly love one another.

I was challenged to identify a biblical justification for my beliefs. Here you go:

    8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

    13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13: 8-13

    34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

I believe very strongly being gay is not a choice, it is simply who you are. Given that reality and what I believe about the nature of God, I can not believe God would disqualify gay people from sharing deep love and intimacy with a soul mate. Beyond that, Jesus was very clear to me about my role on this earth. My job is to love people where and how I find them without judgment.

Before you tell me I am wrong in not reading the Bible literally, or that I am misinterpreting the teachings of Paul or Jesus, let me say I recognize I am neither God nor a biblical scholar and I could be wrong. This is what I believe after many years of thought, consideration and study--my beliefs are not a result of cultural pressure or brainwashing by the Internet and mainstream media. You may believe something different, and I am good with that.

If you agree with me 100%, great. If you think I'm going to hell or that I'm not a true Christian because of my beliefs, not great, but okay. If you agree with me about gay marriage but don't believe in God, I respect you all the same. Whatever your views on this or a host of other issues, I'm going to do my best to love you. It's what Jesus taught me to do and it's just a better way to live life.

Now that is the way a True Christian would respond, with love, not hate.  I certainly wish we had a lot more politicians, hell more people just like Mayor Shetter.  Almost makes me want to move to Burleson, but not quite, lol.  

Musically today I am in a Boccherini type of mood so that is what you will be getting.  However, I will not whack you over the head with another round of his Cello Concerti, though I love them dearly.  Today I thought I would post this set of 6 String Trios, Opus 47, G 107-112 written in 1793 and performed beautifully by Trio L'Europa Galante: Fabio Biondi (Violin), Angelo Bartoletti (Viola), & Maurizio Naddeo (Cello).  The video description was so informative that I thought I would include it here also: 

"For a long time, it was thought that Boccherini spent a considerable amount of time in Prussia (1787-1796), this on the strength of a quite spurious document. The fact was that he never left Spain, but he did receive an allowance from Friedrich Wilhelm II, who greatly appreciated his music. Boccherini sent him a fair number of his compositions, and it is for this reason that the Staatsbibliothek in Berlin houses copies of the Opus 47 Trios, to give just one example. These trios date from 1793 and were composed between February and October of that year. Compared with the 'great' trios, Opus 14 (1772) and Opus 34 (1781), they are treated in a far simpler manner. These Opus 47 works, unlike their predecessors which consisted of three or even four movements, have only two movements. Not one of them, incidentally, is written in the minor. One may well ask oneself what lies behind this evolution. Was the composer intent on achieving a greater degree of purity in his music, but at the same time lending it increased subtlety? Or was he out to capture a wider audience by means of more accessible music? It really would appear that Boccherini had set his heart on writing less complex pieces, whatever the genre. Later on, following an insistent request from his Parisian publisher, Pleyel, he even agreed to write a collection of six pieces, two works in his own style and four 'according to your desires'.

However that may be, there is no lack of invention in the pieces and once again, one finds that inexhaustible melodic charm which characterizes all Boccherini's chamber music. Although five out of the six trios end with a minuet, the first movements are highly diverse, as though the composer had set out to give each page his own unusual psychological character. There is a remarkable ambiguity about the music: smiles or melancholy? By such subtle shifts of lighting, Boccherini, just like Haydn and Mozart, manages to make his way along the narrow ridge dividing the language of the baroque era from romantic expression." - Jacques Bonnaure (trans. John Sidgwick)

Painting: Six studies of a cat, Thomas Gainsborough

 Included in the play list are Trios Number 1 in A major (G. 107); 2 in G major (G. 108); 3 in B-flat major (G. 109); 4 in E-flat major (G. 110); 5 in D major (G. 111) and 6 in F major (G. 112).  Now little know by a lot of folks, Boccherini also wrote a series of Symphonies in various keys and lengths that are not really heard much in the concert halls now days.  To help bring light to these lesser known works, over on my tumblr you may join the Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss under the direction of Johannes Goritzki for their performance of Boccherini's Symphony in E flat major, Op. 12, Number 2, G. 504.

Now for some visual delights, scroll on down the page to the next post where you will find an abundance of Random Hotness just waiting for you to drool all over them.  While over on my tumblr your Hottie of the Day!, Armondo Adajar is a scrumptious site with an ass that begs to be eaten, check him out.   Thanks for the visit, see you again real soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Obstruction by Stupidity

Yesterday did not go at all as planned with the most obvious result being the lack of a  post on Sunday.  Sometimes life gets in the way of what you had in mind to do, so you have to just go with flow until you can reach a shoreline and regroup.  Anyway, Monday is another day and here we are trying to make it happen one more time.  I thank you for your forbearance while I get my ducks all in a row.

While Marriage Equality is now the law of the land, there is still much obstructionism and stupidity going on around the country as the hard line right wingers go through the palpitations and death throes of bitter defeat.  It is truly amazing what lengths some of these folks will go to try and circumvent observing the letter as well as the spirit of the law.  From Towleroad.com comes this story that is a real doozy:

One justice of the peace in Texas thinks he’s found a clever way to skirt the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of same-sex marriage.

In Texas, judges must either marry all couples, gay and straight, or stop officiating ceremonies altogether.

Judge James R. DePiazza of Denton, north of Dallas, says he’ll “witness” same-sex weddings, but with several conditions that appear designed to insult gay couples. From a form posted on DePiazza’s website:

The Supreme Court of the United States’ ruling on June 26, 2015 in Obergefell v. Hodges has legalized marriage in all 50 States regardless of gender. The result of this ruling has not changed Judge DePiazza’s personal convictions on marriage, but has changed the way he is now conducting ceremonies. Judge DePiazza will no longer be providing marriage ceremonies in the traditional manner. The ceremony will strictly be a witnessing to the declaration of marriage, presented by Judge DePiazza, by both parties under the laws of the State of Texas.

Judge DePiazza prefers to NOT conduct same-sex ceremonies, but will not decline anyone who chooses to schedule with him.

The form also says that photography is now banned during ceremonies in Piazza’s courtroom and states that before the judge will officiate them, couples must sign an acknowledgment saying:

“While we many not necessarily agree with, we accept Judge DePiazza’s position on same-sex marriages, accept the conditions expressed above and understand that there will be no discussion regarding his position before, during or after the ceremony.”

More from WFAA-TV:

Judge DePiazza told News 8 every human being deserves dignity and respect, whether he agrees with them or not.

“It’s my personal belief that individuals who want to conduct a marriage ceremony understand my convictions,” Judge DePiazza said. “If it was me, I would prefer to have someone who was in agreement with me.” …

Judge DePiazza told News 8 he has not performed any marriage ceremonies since the Supreme Court decision because he has been on vacation. However, his office has received inquiries from couples seeking to get married.

As long as they sign his revised form, he will conduct the ceremony. If the agreement is broken, Judge DePiazza said the wedding will be stopped and the couple will receive a refund.

DePiazza, first elected in 2007, is a conservative Catholic, according to his Facebook page, where the policy isn’t going over too well:

In addition to being offensive, DePiazza’s new marriage policy is probably illegal. The Texas Observer reports:

Katherine Franke, the director of the Public Rights/Private Conscience Project at Columbia University’s law school, says that what DePiazza is doing — specifically in making marriage seekers sign the letter — is probably unconstitutional.

“I think it’s an interesting innovation in trying to hold your nose and do your job by making everybody else hold your nose as well. It’s creative, but I don’t imagine it will stand up in court,” Franke says. “Even for a heterosexual couple that’s getting married and [DePiazza’s] not opposed to their marriage, the only way they can get married is to acknowledge that he doesn’t want to marry gay people. I could see straight people being offended.”

One can’t force those qualified for a particular public benefit to accept an insult to receive that benefit, Franke says.

 Now ain't that just a crock of shit?  Acceptance of an officiant's bigotry is not a requirement of the law and sooner or later this little bit of stupidity will go the way of the dinosaurs.  Along with the Neanderthals that think like Judge DePiazza.  And it cannot happen too soon.  Not that I wish death on anyone, but these folks really need to get the fuck outta my life and bedroom, and fucking soon!

Now for more pleasant thoughts, how about some Monday with Mozart to cheer us all up?  Today I have two pieces posted below, the Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K622 and the Oboe Concerto in C Major, K314 with a wonderful performance by Antony Pay, Soloist,  The Academy of Ancient Music and Conductor Christopher Hogwood.  While over on my tumblr there is more marvelous Mozart with his Sinfonia Concertante for Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon, and Orchestra, K. 297b in E flat Major with Hubert Soudant conducting the Mozarteum Orchestra.

Then as is my usual want on Monday's, indulgence in our mutual Underwear Fetish is just a scroll away with this week's edition of Monday's Undies full of pristine pouches and rippling abs posted down below.  Not to be outdone, the Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr, Alan Valdez, is looking all scrumdillyiscious just standing there.  Thanks for the visit, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Recommended Reads and American Weed

Good Morning!  I hope you brought your reading glasses with you as I have a few links to some interesting reading on the web.  To start with, there was the victory in Federal Court yesterday in the case of Golinski v Office of Personnel Management where DOMA was ruled unconstitutional.  Golinski is a married Lesbian employee of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals who wants to enroll her spouse in the employee health plan.   You can read Ari Ezra Waldman's excellent analysis of what this means for all of us over at Towleroad.  Next up is this essay adapted from the new book by Chris Mooney The Republican Brain: The Science of Why They Deny Science—and Reality, due out in April from Wiley.  From there you can read the interview with Jane McGonigal whose new book  Reality Is Broken is just out in paperback.   The premise behind the book is "Can Computer Games Save Us All? New Research Shows How Gaming Can Help Cure Our Social Ills".  It is a lengthy interview but very interesting and revealing conversation with the woman called  "one of top 35 innovators changing the world through technology."  Now if all of this doesn't put you on sensory overload, you can read the synopsis of a new National Geographic series premiering tonight called "American Weed" which profiles the medical marijuana industry in Colorado.  The story is centered in the small town of Fort Collins where I once lived a few years ago.  

To help you relax while your reading or checking out all the marvelous Men In Jeans posted down below, I have an hour and 16 minutes of beautiful piano music in a recital recorded live in London in 1982.  The recital features various works by Frederic Chopin as interpreted by Vlado Perlemuter.  Thanks for the visit, see you again tomorrow.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Best of the Web This Week

We have good news, bad news, a cool video shot in the Alps, quite a few things in the Best of Web This week as well as some Beethoven to soothe the savage beast in us all.  I guess I will start with this cool video shot by Fashion photographer and filmmaker Jacob Sutton who swaps the studio for the slopes of Tignes in the Rhône-Alpes region of south-eastern France, with a luminous after hours short starring Artec pro snowboarder William Hughes. h/t Towleroad.com.

As most of you in range of a television or radio this week know, Whitney Houston died last Saturday.  The Internet has been alive with tributes and commentary both good and bad.   However, the award for the best tribute I have seen came on the Valentine's Day episode of Glee when Mercedes nailed 'I Will Always Love You'.  This has been one of my favorite love songs since the first time I heard Dolly Parton sing it coming down the stairs in 'The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas' lo those many years ago.

In the Good News/Bad News department, first up is Maryland whose legislature passed the Marriage Equality Bill which now goes to the Senate where it is expected to pass.  Governor O'Malley has promised to sign the bill when it gets to his desk making Maryland state number 8 with Marriage Equality.   Both houses of the New Jersey legislature also passed a Marriage Equality bill and sent it to Governor Christie who immediately vetoed the bill.  The good news here is the legislature can vote to override the veto as many times as it takes until the end of this session in January of 2014.  12 more votes are needed in the House and 3 more in the Senate and there will be enough to tell Governor Christie to shove it and we will then have 9 states with Marriage Equality.  

Now that I have had a few moments to catch my breath after a rather harrowing night at work complete with semi-delusional drunks and a car jacking in the parking lot, I am ready to relax a bit.  What better way to relax than to listen to a little Beethoven.  Today's musical interlude includes Piano Sonatas 2, 14, 31 and 32 performed by Friedrich Gulda, recorded live at his concert in Salzburg in July of 1964.  While you mellow out to this marvelous performance, you can leisurely scroll down the page where you will find over 100 lithesome lads in this week's photographic review of the Best of the Web This Week chosen from over 700 photos I gathered this week.  Thanks for spending part of your weekend with me, we will see you again on Monday.   Until next time as always, Enjoy!