myStrangerFace A place for Canadians.

Terpsichorean

Annapolis, MD, USA

TMI

What piece of art would you steal?: I would never do such a thing
What do you like to read when you poop?: I don't have enough time to read anything whilst pooping... I have shit to do, see what I did there!
God is: a quaint notion...
What song or movie makes you cry?: too many to list, I'm a cry baby at sad movies
What movie can you recite verbatim?: V for Vendetta

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May 23, 2012 Terpsichorean commented on Dharun Ravi Sentenced to 30 Days.

As a gay guy in his 20's, who is both politically aware and active, I didn't really feel like they made a compelling case against him that warranted jail time. 30 days seems a most appropriate sentence if indeed he has committed a crime.

I really think this country needs to reexamine it's sentencing practices. 10 and 20 year sentences might as well be life sentences, as far as I'm concerned. Imagine you were facing a 10 year prison sentence. Imagine how that would factor into how you see the rest of your life playing out. I really think this country needs to focus on criminal justice reform.

Mar 30, 2012 Terpsichorean commented on The Gay Debate: The Bible and Homosexuality.

@58: While I understand the impulse of progressive, science-minded types and gays to have a knee-jerk reaction against religion, I agree with you: we need to be building coalitions, not writing people off based on simple stereotypes and prejudices.

We're not to subscribe to an eye for eye are we?

Mar 30, 2012 Terpsichorean commented on The Gay Debate: The Bible and Homosexuality.

@60 "For, in the end, it doesn't matter if you're an atheist, a theist, an agnostic, a Christian, a Muslim, or a devout believer of the Flying Spaghetti Monster -- what matters is what this belief does to you. And what it makes you do to others."

Here Here! When I realized it was not about what others believe, but about how they treat others my angry, rabid atheism seemed silly and immature, now I am a laid back agnostic, and I am more open to the world around me.

Mar 30, 2012 Terpsichorean commented on The Gay Debate: The Bible and Homosexuality.

@34 I am an adamant agnostic myself, but that doesn't give me license to label, or dismiss something that I don't understand. I am also not a fan of organized religion in any capacity, but it is a reality that is here to stay, and something that needs to be addressed in the fight for gay civil rights. While I probably agree with most sloggers on a variety of issues the responses to this post really turned me off, don't know if that was obvious or not. I hope I've added a fresh perspective that open the dismissers eyes, in much the same fashion as Vines.

Mar 30, 2012 Terpsichorean commented on The Gay Debate: The Bible and Homosexuality.

In short to all you cynical, nay-sayers, please pull that pole out of your ass beat some sense into yourself with it, then sit on it and rotate. I do mean that in the nicest possible way. I went through a period of almost militant atheism myself, but we will never win the battle of ideas if we dismiss those who will address those we believe should reexamine their beliefs as pointless idealists.

Even young christian conservatives are now supporting gay rights with significant numbers, the reason we are not seeing progress more quickly is b/c old people are set in their ways and they VOTE! If young people would get involved in politics, at all levels and for every election (not just the sexy presidential, it's the legislative branch which makes our laws) we would see a dramatic shift in policy and rhetoric in this country, but alas so many young voters dismiss the political process as pointless idealism, funny how that works.

Mar 30, 2012 Terpsichorean commented on The Gay Debate: The Bible and Homosexuality.

What I am getting at is that I don't understand all the nay-sayers who are dismissing what this BRAVE young man has done. Completely pointless, you'll never get through to them, bah! Wake up people, how do you think we got to this point? People stood up, came out, and addressed the lies, prejudices, stereotypes, misconceptions, myths and and utter non-sense surrounding the gay. Is this church going to become PFLAG central and immediately start to actively push same-sex marriage and other gay rights initiatives no. But he has sowed the seeds of alternative thought in every person who heard him speak, he gave them all a different perspective inside their usual echo chamber. Some of those seeds will never take, and some of those seeds won't produce much of anything, but some of those seeds will produce fruit, and spread other seeds (for starters think of all the young people in that church, who haven't latched onto the gays are evil message and consume today's pop culture who listened to Vines that day). The old stances and arguments against gays are breaking down at an ever quickening pace because of people like Matthews Vines.

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Mar 30, 2012 Terpsichorean commented on The Gay Debate: The Bible and Homosexuality.

I was raised methodist, although I told my family at the age of 12 that I didn't believe in God and was not interested in going to church anymore, and we never went to church again, surprisingly (we only ever went rarely and sporadically anyway). I am from Maryland, which is fairly progressive and liberal, so perhaps they're more fundie out in Kansas but I don't think of the Methodists as fundamentalists. I never paid attention enough to know the differences between the various sects of Christianity and which is more bat shit than the next, but I can assure you no one on my moms side of the family would ever subscribe to a fundamentalist religion period. Why is everyone claiming he is addressing fundamentalists?

Feb 29, 2012 Terpsichorean commented on Required Reading: "Rick Santorum, Meet My Son".

We need to change the frame work of the abortion debate. We need a new message: "Sometimes abortion is the right and moral thing to do." We need to stop framing it as choice vs. life, and start saying that sometimes it is the right decision to make. Sometimes it is the moral decision to make.

I would like to state my hypothesis that there is probably a strong correlation between unwanted pregnancies and child abuse, neglect and abandonment. With child abuse far more prevalent in the US than other developed countries one must ask why, and more importantly how can we dramatically reduce child abuse? How come no one seems to care about the fetus after it's born?

Feb 17, 2012 Terpsichorean commented on "More clever than a pie in the face but less clever than something actually clever.".

OH! and I was also struck by Jon saying it was a way of protesting the senator's views on gay marriage.

I really think the homepage of spreadingsantorum (sorry I'm not tech savvy enough to post it as a link, I'm 26 but I should have been born in the classical age) needs to have the quote from Ol' Frothy concerning man on dog and pedophilia just underneath the definition. Perhaps even with a disclaimer that this is not about his views on gay marriage.

Feb 17, 2012 Terpsichorean commented on "More clever than a pie in the face but less clever than something actually clever.".

I just got a chuckle thinking about someone tossing a water balloon filled with running chocolate pudding (I was actually think chocolate mousse for the right consistency and frothy-ness, but A. I don't think a water balloon full of mousse would break, and B. it should be a crime to waste perfectly good chocolate mousse!) on stage... ok on Rick...

...But it is just an amusing thought!!! NOT SOMETHING TO BE CARRIED OUT. It is has no place in political discourse, and does not win anyone over to our side.