"Whose sins you shall forgive....."

I've heard about more sins during the current GOP campaigns than I did in all my twelve years of Catholic education. JEEZE ! Newt's daughters from his first wife are out there trying to protect his third wife from things that his second wife is saying. Newt and one or the other of them used to meet at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception to hook up while he was still married. Newt also brought back his version of the Inquisition as he charged after Bill Clinton for fooling around with Monica, while having a sinful affair himself.

Rick Santorum has already made every gay person in the world as well as anyone who likes any gay person in the world absolutely hate him, and still stands squeaky clean in that ugly gray sweater vest saying the word "family" about a million times in every sound bite. I'm SO sorry....but watching him and his family on Piers Morgan the other night...they just seemed unusual. Maybe it was the tale of bringing home the dead baby for the children to hold...(Mrs S. said that was so they could have a funeral Mass...but since when was it a requirement that the body of the deceased had to be brought home first?). Maybe the fact that Rick met his wife just after she ended her six year sinful relationship with an abortion doctor who was forty some years older than her...and who in fact had delivered her....No?....what about her own induced labor to save her life....kinda like a terminated pregnancy.?

Add to this the sad end of Joe Paterno's life. Sandusky certainly seems to have been the BIG sinner, but lots of people including Joe have been given their Penance.

Growing up a Catholic, we were always able to get off the hook by going to confession...and being sorry...and promising not to sin again. ( Of course we could always find the new assistant priest who didn;t speak very good english...or the old one who really couldn't hear ). I suppose adultery, murder, cheating, lying and God knows what else can also be forgiven, but hearing some of those pompous voices out there telling gay people, especially gay kids, that they are sinners, and somehow less equal human beings...kinda makes me wonder. Just whose sins are forgiven...and whose are retained.?

WRECKED CARS, EYE OPENERS, AND 3 WAYS

T' was no silent night here when the snow began to make our street look like a toboggan track, with two cars ramming into telephone poles within minutes of each other. By 7:00 we had police cars, tow trucks, salt trucks and utility people all over the place. While my partner snuggled in with Woof to watch "Steel Magnolias" ( and cry for the tenth time at least ), I opted once again to watch yet another GOP debate...I know enough by now to have a glass of wine with me for the duration. With Newt Gingrich's response to the very first question I nearly downed my Merlot like a shooter, and quickly forgot about the melee on the avenue outside. I guess people are right that one never knows what to expect from Newt...and I doubt that John King..the moderator would ever question that perception again. I think that question and response got the only standing ovation of the evening. Newt did of course say that wife # 2 was a liar.

The other surprise of the evening actually was about me. (Isn't everything? ). I actually felt myself listening to what my favorite homophobe had to say. Bless me Father for I have sinned, but Rick Santorum isn't stupid. If he wasn't such a hateful hater of equal rights for gay people, he might actually not be so bad...but then again there's all that stuff about the FAMILY and women staying home...and not having rights over their own bodies and health to. In spite of the possibility of having my gay card revoked, I actually found myself thinking that he made sense on quite a few issues. I imagine most of my audience is about ready to hit the delete tab....but hold on just a minute. I would never support or vote for this man under any circumstances, but I was really surprised at myself for not feeling queasy as soon as he opened his mouth. He is a terrible bigot...has done a great deal of harm to young gay kids...and will soon be gone. He could have taken a different road...enough about him. By Monday I'll be ready to puke again when I hear his name.

Yesterday for the first time (I think) I heard the words "Open Relationship" referring to a straight marriage. I'm sure I'm just a bit naive about that, but outside of the gay community I've just never heard that. Seems to me that Mrs Gingrich 2 was actually describing a three way....which we've ALL heard about. Her explosive comments sure did make the news, and added to a rollicking atmosphere around here last night....maybe "Steel Magnolias" would have been a more soothing choice.

WHAT I THINK MITT ROMNEY LACKS

I keep trying to figure out just what it is about Mitt Romney that makes me not like him. I had decided a few years ago that it was because of the dog on the roof of the car issue, but even if that wasn't a factor, I've still felt a real cold feeling about this guy. He's made some comments lately that are certainly big turn offs...like his off the cuff offer to make a ten thousand dollar bet, or that he "likes to fire people", or that the three hundred thousand dollars that he received for speaking was "not very much". Even his admission that his tax rate is 15% didn't explain my empty feeling about the guy. I know he's never been the golden boy for even his own party, but I've still been grappling with my own sense about Mr R.

It dawned on me the other day when a guy and his wife stopped in for a quick visit on their way back home to Philly after a family event here in Pittsburgh. I hadn't seen him for years and years, and had never met his wife. The minute she walked in the front door, I liked her. I knew very little about her actually, and in reality I still don't....but I liked her immediately. I got to thinking about it after they left...after one glass of wine...and maybe forty-five minutes together. She was so "real" so "up-front" so "honest" so "open" that I could hardly wait to make plans to get together more often. Her husband and I met in grade school, and have been long distance friends ever since, and I could tell they had a great life together, and last year lost their daughter just after she had give birth to their first grandchild. We all had tears in our eyes when she talked about how devastating that was, but her own strength and openness about it was also astounding.

Sorry......to my point. I realized that what I think causes me to like certain people so much and so quickly is their authenticity. My friends wife was absolutely transparent with her feelings and emotions...you know..what you see is what you get...Mitt Romney doesn't seem authentic to me. I don't trust that what he says is what he really believes. Nothing about him seems real. As much as I can't stomach Rick Santorum...I know he actually believes the homophobic and ridiculous things that he says...so does Ron Paul.......They are at least real. ( That is probably as close as I'll ever be to saying something positive about Rick Santorum )...I promise never to do it again.

I read once that a survey of people that focused on people who live a " rich life"....not monetarily, but a rich life in terms of meaning and fulfillment came up with the top three things that provided richness. They were 1. Relationships 2. Authenticity 3. Creativity. Mr Romney, in my opinion, is sorely lacking on # 2.

FEROCIOUS SOUTH CAROLINA MOBS

Pittsburghers have traditionally flocked to Myrtle Beach. I've been there with my family, and once we found a nice spot away from the more honky tonk boardwalk area, I kinda liked it down there. The ocean was warm, the rates were decent, and there were plenty of good restaurants and the locals seemed nice enough. Watching the GOP debate from there the other night made me stop and think about that friendly little summertime escape. That crowd was SCARY ! Newt Gingrich's exchange with the only black person in sight gave me the creeps. When Juan Williams (from FOX no less) called Newt out about his comments about black people and insensitivity, the crowd sounded like they were about to storm the stage...booing Mr Williams for the question, and cheering for Newt when he gave a condescending response. Later when Ron Paul just happened to mention the GOLDEN RULE as perhaps being a way to think about our fellow human beings, he was also booed. Now I wouldn't vote for either one of these guys, but I still respect their right to speak...(except for Rick Santorum..whom I think ought to be hog tied during any public forum..) just kidding. AHEM.

My partner would rather put pins in his eyes than watch a GOP debate...or more than 20 minutes of the news actually. While I listen to Rachel on MSNBC he's usually deep into a Bette Davis movie or an episode of The Golden Girls, but I've found these debates fascinating as well as disturbing. When the gay soldier was booed early on, I was sure that one of the candidates would perhaps chastise the audience, but when the hypothetical dying man with no insurance was mentioned and some people in the crowd yelled " let him die"...I really felt a bit of a chill down my spine.

Jon Hunstman seemed to be a man who'd be capable of running the country...but his ability to at least acknowledge the divisive nature of the current political scene wasn't welcome at all. I wouldn't vote for any of these candidates...I think they're all too flawed. I'd also be hesitant to face a South Carolina crowd like that one the other night...especially if I was black...or poor...or preached the Golden Rule...or was gay...(OH MY GOD ! ) Even if I was a Navy Seal they might run me out of town with torches and pitchforks.

THE BEGINNING OF THE END ?

I think perhaps it's about to begin. In a recent address to 180 foreign diplomats, the Pope once again warned humanity against the threat that people like my partner and I are posing to the entire universe. With the recent appointment of New York Archbishop Dolan to the office of Cardinal of the church, it seems like the big guns are about to be brought out...to defend the whole world. Jolly Old Cardinal Dolan sent a letter to the president in the Fall letting him know that he should be supporting an amendment to the constitution for a ban on gay marriage. ( Remember when George W came out like a cuckoo and called for just such an amendment...then flew back into his office 20 seconds later? ).

My Roman Catholic Church of course teaches that homosexual "tendencies" are not sinful, but homosexual "acts" are, and that kinda confuses me. I asked some of my straight friends recently if they had heterosexual tendencies...and after exchanging looks with one another, they all said no. They're just heterosexuals. Now I have lots of tendencies that I guess I ought to think about, but being attracted to men rather than women isn't one of them. ( I have bigger fish to fry....like that third glass of wine after work ).

I'm also concerned about my tendency to want to jump through our television screen during a GOP debate, or when one of those...."when the moment is right" commercials comes on. ( Seriously..FOUR hours? ).

My partner and I are thus beginning to make good on the threats to society. We began the week with a Mass for racial tolerance at the Cathedral, followed by a family dinner that included my newly married niece and her husband, my brother and his wife, my 17 year old nephew, and my Mom. The tension that my partner and I have created for over 30 years now was as palpable as ever. It's actually sad to see how much of a threat we continue to pose to even to our own family. If the two of us simply had "tendencies", maybe the family could relax, but alas...they suspect that now and then we ACT, and thus jeopardize all of their very existences. The fact that my family is actually able to enjoy a turkey dinner together with such doom and destruction lurking just around the corner (maybe over near the wine bottle?) is just amazing.

All we're doing now is waiting to see just how this destruction will ensue...my nephew has a theory that it will actually begin with some sort of a plague....maybe stinkbugs?

THOUGHTS ABOUT RACISM

I began my career as a special education teacher in California when I was fresh out of Duquesne. I wrote a letter to the Los Angeles city schools requesting a job application, and received instead a contract as a response....no interview....no references.....but a school district desperate for male special ed teachers. I was assigned to Ninth Street School...in downtown Los Angeles. I drove my VW bug across the country and arrived just two days before school was to begin. When I got there I went straight to the school, and introduced myself and was welcomed as the new music teacher. I quickly responded that there must have been some mistake because I had no background in music education....and they then asked if I could play the piano...(which I can....especially if I've had a glass of wine or two...and my audience is ready for some old Irish tunes ). Evidently that was more than anyone else on the staff could do, and the die was cast.

Our school was a pilot project for "trainable mentally retarded" kids from 12 to 18 years old. The idea was to have the kids change classes, and model any other high school environment. Easier said than done.

Mass confusion reigned ! Almost everything was new to me, and even newer to the children, and I had no idea how I would handle the job, no curriculum guide, little supervision....but a big imagination. While at Duquesne, my fraternity would team up with a sorority for the Fall carnival, and we'd put on a musical, while five or six other groups would do same...in large tents on the campus. I conceived an idea to rewrite those shows for the kids I was teaching, and thus my students began rehearsals and learned songs from

Broadway

During this time I met the wood shop teacher and his assistant who was a fabulous artist. We became quick friends...pulled our talents, constructing sets.painting them, and lured costume makers and musicians for our big productions. Our shows ( two a year ) were smashes....two nights, full houses, big wigs from the board, and applause for the kids that I'm sure they've never forgotten.

I wanted to write a piece today about racism....how we three "producers" were different colors, and how the kids were black white and hispanic, and how it didn't matter. The fact that I got to the end of this long tale without mentioning our colors seems to actually make my point. The kids were all just the kids...and my lifelong friendships with the carpenter and the artist mean the world to me. I guess the content of our characters easily trumped the color of our respective skins.

WHEN GOOD PEOPLE DO BAD THINGS

You know what......in spite of all the outrage about US soldiers desecrating the bodies of enemy soldiers...I have a different take on the whole matter. Why the hell is this country still engaged in this hopeless tragic war effort.....after ELEVEN years? These young people who are still being sent to this God-forsaken country must be battling their worst demons and their darkest selves. All you have to do is watch the national news and see the frustration of our soldiers who are dealing endlessly with Afghan army desertions, betrayals, and hopeless "missions". There was an article recently about how one of the biggest fears that the soldiers have is about the IED's that are specifically designed to destroy or seriously injure the genitals.

These men and women have watched their friends blown to bits, sent home in body bags, or mentally injured for the rest of their lives. While support for this war is ever dwindling among the folks back home...the battle rages on and on....for a corrupt government and for unrealistic goals. These men and women who are sent back to this awful part of the world are obviously doing things that they probably never imagined doing.

The outrage over the abuse of a corpse...any corpse is disgusting and revolting, but I think this war..this eleven year adventure is destroying thousands of people every year. I don't in any way condone what these soldiers appear to have done, but I am able to understand it. We're turning good people with good intentions into monsters, and our silence about ending this war implies complicity.