Backlash

So, if you've read my last post, you know that I told one of my (Christian) relatives that it's not nice to ask God to kill people. And, ohmygoddess, has there been a lot of backlash. She responded by saying it was a joke. Then she set her status to say something along the lines of "why do people get mad at jokes? I thought it was funny, so I reposted," to which a lot of her friend responded. Saying that only Republicans have a sense of humor. That they thought it was funny too. That "only one person was upset over it, everyone else seemed to think it was funny. I did!" (Reminder: All I said was "You shouldn't ask God to kill people. It really isn't very nice.") And the one that really put me in a bad mood (my sister too, when she read it) was one fellow who said "If i'm not mistaken, the person who got upset about it is young, and in a few years she'll be laughing her ass off."

Excuse me? ...Excuse me? Either he's assuming that people who are liberals as young'ns suddenly become conservatives the moment they hit a certain age, or that even as a liberal, I'll come to hate Obama as much as they do. But, thinking back on it, the joke isn't funny for more than political reasons. Why would you ask the Divine to kill anyone, whoever they might be? Especially if you follow the teachings of Jesus, who says love your neighbor, turn the other cheek, and all that. At what point is it okay to go, "well, I've nothing against this man personally, I mean, he hasn't killed my babies or anything like that, he's just trying to do a really hard job and I don't like the way he's doing it, so, God, could you, uh, you know, step in and knock him off for me? Thanks." Oh, there isn't such a point? Okay, then.

Yesterday was not a good day for me. Not for any particular reason. But I couldn't focus and just felt really down in a way that I haven't for years. I think part of it might just have been all this negativity my wonderful family member managed to direct towards me with the help of her friends. I've felt it somewhat today, also, though not nearly as badly. So I've decided to avoid all her passive aggressive FB statuses by de-friending her, and hopefully she and her friends will forget about this episode and stop sending those negative vibes my way.

Liberal in a conservative family

Why, oh why, do I have to be one of the few (i.e. two) liberals in a conservative family? This message has been posted by both my cousin and my sister-in-law on Facebook:

DEAR LORD, THIS YEAR YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTOR, PATRICK SWAYZIE. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTRESS, FARAH FAWCETT. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE SINGER, MICHAEL JACKSON. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, MY FAVORITE PRESIDENT IS BARACK OBAMA. AMEN.

Both of whom are "Christians." I said nothing when my sister-in-law posted it, because we were on the outs several years ago and that was fun for no one, particularly my brother. And, being a good sister, I'm trying to avoid passing any sort of judgement on my sister-in-law that could possibly lead to that situation again. However. When my cousin posted this, I could not resist, and commented:

Glad you're basically asking God to kill people. Just so you know, that's not really nice

Um. Yeah. I get that some people may not like Obama. Personally, I don't have a problem with him. People can bitch (pardon my French) about the economy all they want, but it was like this before he got into office. And to be uber-political: I like the idea that the poor lady down the street who has no job because of disability might one day be able to get in to see a doctor and get some medicine that she needs at an affordable price thanks to a nation-wide health plan. Excuse me for loving my neighbor.

Don't they realise they are negating everything they supposedly believe in (democracy, religion, the Bible, government of the people, for the people, by the people) by publicly announcing this nonsense?

I suppose this is one of those things I shall never understand.

Edited to add my current Facebook status:

I may not agree with your beliefs. I may not agree with your politics. I may not even like you very much. But at least I won't ask for the Divine to come down and kill you. Amen.

Obama: Hospitals must grant same-sex visitations

President Obama is ordering hospitals to extend visitation rights to whomever a patient designates, including same-sex partners, tying the requirement to federal funding for Medicare and Medicaid.

"Gay and lesbian Americans are often barred from the bedsides of the partners with whom they have spent decades of their lives -- unable to be there for the person they love," Obama said in a presidential memorandum.

The new visitation policy will apply to more than just same-sex partners. Under the order, patients can designate anyone -- a friend or a distant relative -- to be a surrogate decision-maker.

Hospitals that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding will be required to comply.

Gay and lesbian groups have been fighting for years to get hospital visitation rights, which vary by state.

"One person in a hospital can make a huge difference," said Dr. Jason Schneider, former president of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association. "So I think this directive gives weight to the importance of recognizing the variety and the breadth of how people define families."

Can I just say that this is an awesome piece of news? I don't follow politics much, and when people start complaining about the health care bill and all that, I keep my mouth shut, because I don't know anything about it. But this... This is a basic right, to be with a loved one during a crisis. And the fact that many hospitals used to ban same-sex partners is just outrageous. Today is a good day. Thank the gods, thank Obama, thank logic, clarity and hope.