The Native Americans, not the bear hunt folks. 

Remember, kids, religious freedom in America is only for Christians. Not for Muslims. Not for atheists. And especially not for actual Americans, or actual American religions.

Full story:

RENO — Following their appearance at the March Wildlife Commission meeting, where they stated their opposition to the bear hunt on religious grounds, Native Americans from various Paiute Tribes the Pyramid Lake Paiute Band were recently questioned by FBI and U.S. Marshalls.

FBI Agent, George Chillito (cell 775-741-9429), an FBI agent with the Task Force on Counter-Terrorism in Reno, reportedly stated that he was investigating the Native Americans at the request of Nevada Department of Wildlife game wardens because the “game wardens” and the “audience felt threatened” by the presence of the Native Americans at the March Wildlife Commission meeting. 

Several Native Americans appeared at the Wildlife Commission meeting held on March 23 and March 24 (“meetings”), and at the Washoe County Advisory Board Meeting held on March 15, to oppose the bear hunt, adopted in December 2010. Shortly after the Commission meeting, FBI agents and U.S. Federal Marshals began appearing at the homes and places of work of the Native Americans, and questioning them about why they opposed the bear hunt, and what were they going to do if the bear hunt continued, etc.

At the meetings, several Native Americans from various Paiute Tribes were present and spoke on the record in opposition to the Bear Hunt for religious reasons, stating that the black bear was a sacred animal to them, and that to kill one for sport was the same as burning a Bible would be to a Christian.

Shortly thereafter, during the period April 2-4, FBI agents visited and questioned two of the Native Americans who spoke at the open public meetings, by arriving at their homes and places of work. On April 2, up to six (6) FBI agents and Federal Marshals came to Lisa Bonta’s home in Sparks, NV, stating that the Nevada Department of Wildlife “game wardens felt threatened” by her presence at the meetings, and specifically questioned why she was opposed to the Bear hunt, and what was she going to do if the bear hunt continued. 

Another Native American, Daniel Thayer, was visited by federal agents at his place of work on April 3, and was told that the Nevada Department of Wildlife had requested an investigation because the “audience felt threatened” by his presence, and was similarly questioned. On April 4, another Native American, Raquela Arthur, saw federal agents watching and carrying out surveillance on her private residence. 

When independently contacted, one Nevada Department of Wildlife staff member stated that he had no knowledge of any request by the Nevada Department of Wildlife for the FBI to investigate Native American opponents of the Bear hunt.

Mr. Chilito is reported to have said that he was also investigating members of www.NoBearHuntNV.org who were present at the meetings, and who have been peacefully and professionally opposing the bear hunt since December 2010 by working within the NDOW public process without incident. Many members of the press from TV and newspapers were also present at the meetings, and were interviewing both Native Americans and members of NoBearHuntNV.org throughout the day. A video of the Commission meeting, and the testimony of the Native Americans, is posted on the Nevada Departmen of Wildlife website.

This FBI intimidation comes on the heels of alleged racial slurs directed at the Native Americans when they spoke at the Washoe County Advisory Board held on March 15th.

All of the Native Americans questioned are members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) of Northern Nevada, a recently registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. AIM members call for NDOW to conduct an internal investigation and to make public who made the request to the FBI, on what grounds it was made, and why the Director of Nevada Department of Wildlife supported such a request. 

screwedupsobad:

I got so pissed I had to do a screenshot and comment, hahah. I think this is a bigger deal, because this guy / his blog is kind of “tumblr famous”, so it’s worth it. 

First: He doesn’t support gay rights. That’s already enough to piss me off. Being gay is proven to be natural and it doesn’t change a goddamn thing about the person. It’s 21st century and we shouldn’t even have to discuss if it’s okay that these people express themselves. Everyone should just accept it. The people who don’t already state that there’s a difference between gays and heterosexuals, and this is simply wrong. 

Second: Not enough, he’s saying that being gay is a sin, which finally crosses the fine line between “okay, he’s just expressing his stupid opinion” and judgement. Being gay is not a sin. He also pretends to know that it’s not a choice to be gay, which is one of his few accurate statements. Now it’s a question of definition: A sin in something you commit when you decide to do it. In my opinion an innocent baby who’s going to turn into a homosexual adult didn’t chose to become gay. Therefore, it’s either born a sinner (which is not logical regarding the definition) or, well, being gay can’t be a sin.

Third: Of course it’s for a religious person also a question of believe. He’s saying that the bible tells us that being gay is a sin. Well, of course it’s easy to say that as an atheist, but even the bible only offers a few lines which could be interpreted this way. The most part of it talks about love, treating people equal and with respect, which collides with the statement that being gay is a sin and making a difference between people who are gay and people who aren’t. 

Fourth: He continues to say that “all sins are equal”. As an example he uses lying. We have all lied at one or a hundred points in our life - does that make all of us sinners? Are we all going to burn in hell, because we lied and didn’t regret every single lie we told? Plus, if all sins are equal, homosexuality may be equal to murder, or murder equal to lying, which is, excuse my choice of words, bullshit.

Fifth: The final line to complete my rage is that he states that everyone should “encourage” gays to “overcome” their homosexuality. A sexuality (as long as it’s nothing perverted like pedophilia, necrophilia or anything like that) is not a disease. It’s nothing to overcome. 

Oh my, it’s 2:24 over here and I’m too pissed to sleep right now, hahah. Are you pissed as well? *Here* is his Tumblr, *here* is his official Facebook page. c: 

By the blogger lesbianapdfighter

I was walking down a bus stop and I happened to stumble upon a man reading the Herald Sun with the front headline “Church Declares War On Gay Marriage”, so as this is a topic that concerns me, I decided to take a trip down to the newsagents and pick up a copy, find a nice cafe and then sit down with my hot chocolate to read it. I was appalled and dumbfounded at the same time;

“Church leaders will urge Victoria’s million-plus Catholics to campaign against gay marriage, saying it would undermine family life and damage society.” Seriously? And what made them think that if homosexuals were allowed the fundamental right to marry just like our heterosexual counter parts already can that it would some how weaken the traditional family? Well, Catholic Church, I’m sure after same sex marriage is legalised that there will still be traditional families living together and with nothing changed. So, if some of my married straight friends attended my wedding with my partner, would they eventually start arguing more and then get a divorce?

“Without this there would be no human beings and no future,” the letter says.” Is this a parody or an sad, isolated person who has no access to any type of media and just doesn’t go out? The bigoted individual who wrote this has obviously has never heard of a sperm bank and/or lives in his little world in a box thinking that there are no gay couples who want to have kids when there are and I am included in that percentage. Even without marriage there are still same sex couples who make families together, so the only thing that is really going to change, is that same sex couples and families will be as legally recognised as straight families and will have the same benefits. Calm down, no one is forcing you to marry a man. 

“Bringing new human life into the world is founded on the loving union in difference of male and female. Children are best nurtured by a mother and father.” You really do live in a small box where you preach that it’s best to have a male and female, don’t you Catholic Church? Do you even a have  the facts to back up your argument in which doesn’t include the bible? 

“… researchers compared adolescents from carefully matched families headed by female couples and those headed by heterosexual couples and found no differences on all measures of adjustment and well-being, including self-esteem, anxiety, grade averages, reported substance abuse, delinquency, and peer victimisation.” Researchers did find a difference in how connected the children felt to people at school, whereby children with same-sex parents showed a greater connection.” – Page 9, paragraph 2 of The Australian Phycological Society: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Parented Families.

There was a study done by the Australian Phycological Society and according to this study, the children in same-sex families were no different (and in some cases better off) than in a opposite-sex family.  

“Since the 1970s, it has become increasingly clear that it is family processes (such as the quality of parenting, the psychosocial well-being of parents, the quality of and satisfaction with relationships within the family, and the level of co-operation and harmony between parents) that contribute to determining children’s well-being and ‘outcomes’, rather than family structures…”  - Page 8, paragraph 3 of The Australian Phycological Society: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Parented Families.

Regardless of if the parents have the same genitals in under their clothing or not, this will not determine the child’s outcome, what does determine is the levels of care, warmth, love, trust, social connection and support, so if these qualities exist in high levels, the outcome of the children’s mental health will be no be poor.

”Society had not collapsed in countries such as Canada and Spain where marriage equality had been achieved, she said.” What makes these countries any more different than us? Only the fact that they have legalised same sex marriage which grants them the same rights as opposite sex couples. Why would legalising same sex marriage make us collapse when many other countries have not collapsed, what is different?

“Marriage equality supporters have described the church’s campaign as “alarmist” and rejected claims gay marriage would undermine family life or damage society.” Even without the facts, people can still confidently say that the legalisation of same-sex marriages will not weaken any family, because how can myself and my partner’s future marriage possibly weaken a single straight marriage? The legalisation will not affect the current rights of heterosexual marriage occupants in anyway, nor will it prevent them from marrying one another in the future.

“The church’s push was not about a lack of respect for people who identify as gay and lesbian, who should be treated with respect and dignity, he said.” Well of course they’re not trying to disrespect us, but instead they are trying to influence the law to force everyone else live by their morals which means LGBT people are second class citizens and do not deserve to be treated equally just because they are against a two-thousand year or more religious text which also says that they have to allow free will.

To conclude this, if you don’t like same-sex marriage, then don’t marry someone of the same sex, it’s that simple. A group of people should not have to live like second class citizens just because it goes against your belief system, if you feel you need to live by your morals, then do so, don’t make it law for everyone else to follow. You don’t see us composing letters of hate to ban all praying just because it goes against our moral code, live and let live.

I don’t really agree. 

The Christians are fucking horrible. Yeah, I said it. They’re terrible, horrible, people. They’re working tirelessly with all sorts of hate groups to take away rights for the poor, women, trans folks, gay folks, non-white folks, just everyone. 

I don’t think you can compare anyone who is remotely sane to those people. They are subhuman in their efforts to remove the humanity of everyone else.  

Barack Obama, if he is a decent human being, needs to be compared to standards of human decency. He does not need excuses for his piss-poor defense of gay rights.

Not hating people for being gay should already be a basic viewpoint. Who the fuck are we comparing him to again? Terrible, violently homophobic people? People who say lesbians should be raped and gay men should be beaten? People who indoctrinate children to terrify and bully queer people? People who psychologically torture gays just because they’re gay?

No. Fuck that. 

If Obama is a decent human being, he’s going to be compared to the rest of us. 

And if I had any political power of any sort, you’d bet your ass I’d be doing more than he is. Shit, I’m probably already doing more by typing this out on this goddamn website. 

No. His position sucks, and his half-assed proclamation of his position sucks even more.

theilluminatedatheist:

Dead.

I will never fail to reblog this.

pinkndcamo:

I understand that the United States is a country where each and every one of us has a freedom of religion, therefore laws should be made impartially. I can also see where people are coming from who say a person’s body is solely their own responsibility, regardless of another’s beliefs religious or otherwise. Since the aforementioned is true both cannabis and abortion should be legal, right? However, I don’t believe there should be any government funding for either, and neither should be covered by insurance. Meaning, the individual is responsible to provide the funding. This way we all get what we want without infringing on each others’ rights. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Yeah, you are. 

If equal rights are guaranteed, pregnancy cannot be a special target of legislation. 

That would be like insurance covering all female reproductive issues but not any male ones.

Legally, it’s discrimination. 

Legally, it’s also causing discrimination by forcing religious moral codes on those who don’t practice the religion. Double discrimination. 

exposingthetruths:

As much as we want to say this nation accepts all religions, let’s face it - that isn’t the truth. Christian holidays such as Christmas are recognized nationally, but since when did the entire nation get a day off from work for a Muslim holiday such as Eid-Al-Fitr?

Always scarily relevant.

mylifeandeverythinginit:

i saw something in a newsarticle and it said all roman catholics job i to make sure gay marriage doesnt happen. that just botherd me like why do they pick on us gays we just want be treated like everyone else and be accepted in soocety.

is that so hard to ask?

Apparently…

modificationnotmutilation:

Separation of religion and state. This shouldn’t be an argument.

Stop putting your religious influences into law making.

Homosexual marriage unconstitutional? BANNING IT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL!

samrgarrett:

ironfuckingmaiden:

omg this is too perfect

THANK YOU SO FUCKING MUCH

Doesn’t work this way. 

Christianity is FUNDAMENTALLY about INEQUALITY. 

Gender inequality. When a child suffers, whose fault is it? When many die, whose fault is it? When someone dies a painful death after a lingering illness, whose fault is it? Why is there illness in the first place? When someone is psychologically and physically traumatized for the rest of their life as the result of torture, whose fault is it? Why is there evil in the first place? Why is there death, illness, evil, immorality, unhappiness, war?

Oh yeah. A woman, a literal piece of a man, who apparently was created for no other purpose than to be responsible for all evil from all humanity. SHIT LET’S IGNORE THAT RIGHT

Racial inequality. What was the Old Testmant about? Um… some “chosen people.” This tribe that god loved. That, because god loved it, got license to go around practicing genocide against other tribes, that got the ok to start wars, slaughter thousands, take them into human slavery, rape them, destroy their cultures and religions. 

Oh yeah. That stuff. SHIT LET’S IGNORE THAT TOO RIGHT

I mean, what is left? The fact that the Bible’s very first fuckin’ story was designed to be an advertisement for gender-role-driven heterosexuality? The fact that homosexuals were… ummm…. brutally murdered for being gay? The fact that not one sect of mainstream Christianity has even accepted people being gay up until the past couple hundred years, completely dashing any logical chance of your *gay-friendly* interpretation being any galaxy close to almost accurate?

Listen. I’m not going to give you a fuckin’ cookie for meeting basic standards of human decency for not ordering us to be burned alive. I am going to take you to task for recommending a book (and subsequently a religion) which, however you interpret it, still explicitly commands misogyny, racism, and homophobia, and recommends using violence to achieve those ends. 

reelaroundthesun:

Want to know something I don’t usually tell people?

I hate abortion.  I absolutely hate it.  I think it’s wrong and the idea of it makes my skin crawl.  I think that in an ideal world, there would be no abortions.

But this isn’t an ideal world.  People get raped, people make mistakes, circumstances arise, the the situation of so many women around the world is entirely out of my hands.  First of all, I’m only sixteen, and I live a privileged life.  I don’t know what it’s like to pregnant, nor do I know what it’s like to be struggling.  I certainly don’t know what it’s like to be both at the same time.

So, not only would I never even dare to judge a woman who chooses to have an abortion, but I fully support its legalization and I would even go as far as to call myself pro-choice.  I don’t have the right to tell people what to do, especially when I’ve never stood in their shoes.

Let me start this off by saying that unlike I abortion, I completely do believe in and support gay marriage and euthanasia.  I think that they’re both very important things that are close to the hearts of many people, and they’re two of my biggest “pet issues.”  I wish they were legal everywhere because I think they’re important assets to society.  We have the right to love and marry whoever we want, and we have the right to die on our own terms.

However, I understand that many people do not agree with me on this.  Although I think that such people are ridiculously judgemental, I respect their right to an opinion.  However, I wish they would consider the way I see abortion, and start looking at other things in that light.  At the end of the day, it’s not about your religion, your ethics, or what you would have forced down society’s throats.  It’s about equality.

You don’t have to like something.  You don’t have to support it.  You can think it’s completely disgusting.  But please, stop for a second.  Consider the way another person feels.  Consider the fact that they’re in a situation you’ve never had and probably never will have to face.

Just think about it.

Do not compare your ridiculous theocratic ideals to gay marriage. 

Unless your country is fucking illogical, the “child” (propaganda translation: fetus) is not a legal person, so their interests, if they had any, do not count. 

As your country IS fucking logical where this counts, take heed:

1. Does your country rule that male and female citizens must be treated equally?
2. Are you aware that pregnancy affects only female citizens and issues related to it affect almost all female citizens?
3. If the answer to both is yes, then you now should have realized that not giving federal support to pregnancy-related health care is directly against #1.
4. Does your country rule that the government must not support any sort of religious belief, including religious moral codes?
5. Are you aware that your religious moral codes cannot be enforced by the government especially when they are in direct opposition to other legal codes (#1)?
6. If the answer to both is yes, then you now should have realized that not giving federal support to pregnancy-related health care is not only directly against #1 but also #4. 

There you go. STFU.

This applies to the US as well, but we’re too busy sucking the pope’s dick to notice our giant legal contradictions.

Also, if you don’t like it, here’s an AWESOME opportunity for you:

1. Marry me. 
2. I become a Canadian citizen and you become an American citizen. 
3. You can come live in the Deep South and I’ll move to Canada. 
4. You’ll be around people who support your theocratic bullshit, and I’ll be rid of you fuckers. 

There you go.

pagannews:

Over the last few years we’re seeing legislation change to extend protections and rights to the Transgender Community.  Events such as the Transgender Day of Remembrance (http://www.transgenderdor.org/) bring the spotlight on just how much this community has suffered at the hands of the masses. 

 

GLAAD (http://www.glaad.org) lists the following statistics:

 

• At least one transgender person is murdered every month; and several more are assaulted
• 55% of transgender youth report being physically attacked
• Nearly half of young transgender people have seriously thought about taking their lives, and one quarter report having made a suicide attempt
• More than half of transgender and gender non conforming people who were bullied, harassed or assaulted in school because of their gender identity have attempted suicide.

 

 

So the over all message here is that Transgender individuals are not welcomed or accepted in general. They are outcasts and looked down upon. 

 

What about the Pagans?  They accept everyone, right?

 

Overall the Pagan community is a pretty accepting community. They generally are a live and let live group.  Pagans usually are accepting of alternate family structures such as families headed by Gay or Lesbian couples.  Many cite the “Charge of the Goddess” which says “All acts of Love and Pleasure are My ritual”. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charge_of_the_Goddess)  This view is also found in some Native American cultures, such as the Lakota, Crow and Cheyenne, where these individuals are celebrated as “Two-Spirited” people. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-Spirited)  They are given special roles in the tribe such as healers, medicine people, fortune tellers and matchmakers to name a few.

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