You know what it’s like these days- what with social media and stuff.
Things you say- if you are in the media or things you tweet or Facebook, always seem to be out there in cyber space. Take for instance this comment that North Simcoe MPP Garfield Dunlop made a decade ago. This quote is from the Christian Science Monitor 10 years back when he was first running as MP for Simcoe North. In the article it says:
Garfield Dunlop is busy on the hustings, giving the same spiel at every door in his suburban Ontario District.
“I’ve got some literature here on same-sex marriage,” says the avuncular politician, pressing a pamphlet into the palm of a white-haired woman who smiles and motions him into her home.
“It’s a sin,” he continues, climbing into the foyer. “And it could tear apart the fabric of our society.
I wonder if Garf feels the same way 10 years later?
I mean I’ve talked to him over the years.
Tom and I took a picture of him- along with his wife Jane, at King’s Wharf Theatre.
Why?
They came over and asked us to.
I asked him to attend a flag-raising at the first Gay Pride Week a few years ago. He couldn’t make it because of previous commitments- according to an e-mail letter his office sent.
I even asked Mr. Garfield to be on a Hank Christmas Show a year ago. He said yes and made the requested appearance. He seemed to have a real good time on stage.
It’s just too bad that someone- who marries another man, has to be the cause of society crumbling. Just because I marry someone I love, how can it “rip at the fabric of society.”
Canada is still here after making Same-Sex marriage legal 6+ years ago- much to the chagrin of the extreme right, the Catholic Church, The Salvation Army and tons of other individuals and right-wing, religious fanatics.
Garf is still here too in this redneck world called Simcoe North.
Maybe Garf has had a change of heart and wonders why he made those comments. I wonder if anyone in his family has “Gay tendencies”?
Someone has to.
It may be buried deep but someone has to. It’s in the numbers.
Hey, I was reading about all those men who became Cardinals in the Church of Rome last weekend. There was a time when that church was quiet and reserved about its day-to-day life. Then for a few decades they loosened up and that’s when all the child abuse came pouring out. You know, the stuff about those fine religious types that “diddle” with young boys, yet still retain their godliness.
That’s why these days many Catholics are referred to as “recovering Catholics” and are leaving the church in droves. It’s also about birth control and the issue of no female priests too, that is causing the drift from the church.
Speaking of religion, on Saturday morning a couple of Jehovah’s came up my front walk as I was letting the cat in.
I want to qualify that statement.
Our cats don’t run free. They get to be out for a few minutes under our watchful eye. They get some fresh air and then they are brought back in the house. It was at this moment as I was gathering up my pussy that a pair of JW’s started to come up my walk splitting off from a group of four. I could tell they were newbies.
You see, many times I have called their Kingdom Hall and told them to take me off their list, come and get their pamphlets from my mailbox and don’t come on my property again. When this demand slips through the cracks it’s because of “newbies” such as those who came up my walk on Saturday.I stopped them before they set foot on my steps.
“Are you Jehovah’s”- I asked politely.
The man- who looked quite normal, paused and said- “Ummm. Yes.”
I could see the Jehovah Bible and pamphlets in his hand.
You know, I had a friend who asked me once, why did everything have to be Gay with me. Why couldn’t I just be normal?
I guess I mean normal in this case with the JW’s, in the sense that most people who are of a religious persuasion don’t appear at my front door trying to convert me to win their way into Heaven.
Anyway, he seemed apprehensive. What was I going to do?
Throw my orange cat at him?
Then, I said- “I have told your church many times that you are not welcome on our property.”
“Oh!”- He said, coming to a full top, clutching his bible and assorted papers, “Sorry.”
I picked up the cat and walked to the side door.
Amidst much whispering on the sidewalk, he called to me again-
“Once again, sorry.”
I answered- “You all have a nice day.”
Did I hear asshole, mumbled beneath his breath?
Possibly.
Maybe it was just my ESP.
I may have rambled a bit on this edition of my RobBlog what with these three stories but there happens to be a “sameness” about them, I think. Maybe I print some things here- like the Garf stuff above, that I will look at a few years from now and say- “Wow! I said that?”
We’re all trying to do the best we can in this world.
These people are all trying to tell us what to think and how to live and what the consequences will be if we don’t follow their beliefs.
You figure it out.
Just don’t knock on my door to tell me.
