Family Values

but of course

"Hate is not a family value"
proclaims the bumper of the car in front of me.
There are those who believe it is.
One madman --
who doesn't deserve
to have his name
repeated again and again
comes out of the closet
pretending to fall in line
with Radical Doctrine
of a usurped religion.
and suddenly,
the Right,
and the Christian Churches
pray for gays.
Maybe that is God's plan.

Author's Note

No hate will be tolerated in comments.
captcha (demob)

Reviews

[Ana Papaya]

Tragedies rally people. It's sad but true.
Sad that it has to take a tragedy...

I always admire your voice here KL.
It's powerful and fearless. I have two family members that have come out.
I worry because I think one will be attending our Pride parade here.
But to stop it would be tragic too. We need to move forward not backward.

[Lyn Anderson]

Thanks. I just had a writer attack and block on this piece. No room for debate. I am the bad guy. :)

[Ana Papaya]

Judging from your smile you don't appear too rattled by it. :)

[Lyn Anderson]

Nope. Just don't get why it is allowed to insult and dash and block on here. Poor planning.

[barleygirl]

I think your short message is a distinct possibility, and even a hopeful wish for humans to evolve . . . but in my honestly jaded viewpoint, I highly doubt if people with anti-gay sentiments are changed at all by this (or any other) tragedy. I just reviewed someone's work yesterday who was basically saying: "I think gays are dead wrong, but in the face of such a tragedy, I will put aside my viewpoint for a minute or two." In our back-and-forth on the topic, I saw no compassion toward gays, but rather just a religious-right viewpoint slightly manicured to be politically correct in the face of this tragedy. I love that you can still have such a hopeful viewpoint, tho. Your seeing the good in this tragedy is something I aspire to.

[Lyn Anderson]

I try. The religious right has a ways to go. But I can tell you that in more traditional, less radical Christian churches that once would have seen this as punishment, there is prayer for the dead and their families. Which is better than it once was. If only the take away message was, "no, God is not pleased, unite against violence."

[Lydia Shutter]

What an interesting take on the tragedy. We have to see things from another perspective sometimes. Still, I find it hard to believe there is a greater plan. If there is, it could use a whole lotta white out! Great write. Lydi**

[Lyn Anderson]

It's not so much that, as I would hope it would wake some of these people up to realize people are people, however, it unfortunately is turning into a place to refocus hate.One thing for sure, those who are against the radicals need to rise up and take charge of their religion. There was a time in the Christian church where such actions would be seen as the wrath of God, instead of an act against God. I would say on some levels that is progress. As to the rest, well, the U.S. is going to play a crucial role in whether this becomes an all out war or not.

[Bacchus]

Such a great piece.
twists our linear thinking into place.

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you. It is a shift for sure, but from one hate to another, not sure to what we are headed.

[V]

This is indeed a smartly and brilliantly expressed piece. Powerful, straightforward and simple yet a good one.

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you. My heart aches. And I am angry. Although I do believe that Pride will be bigger and better this year. Defiant celebrations of individuality and excitement that the Prime Minister will attend.

[V]

I think I understand. Thanks for sharing your opinion.

[Ruth]

Damn..KL...you just voiced this so poignantly that I have no extra words to say...brilliant...

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you, I appreciate that.

[redzone]

what is also "amazing" no not in "grace"), is that still the links between such madness and all religions is staring us right in the face but not once mentioned in any of the crocodile tears shed for these beautiful people who have been lost.... our understanding of gender needs a total reversal of what it is in all cultures and societies.. gone must be this patriarchal view of gender roles and identities... there is only one identity and race- HUMAN... your poem is courageous KL, thank you for creating it...

redzone

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you. First we must implore the so called moderates to squash the radicals in the midst. They keep saying they are the majority. So prove it. Stand up against hate.

[redzone]

what appears to most people (moderates included) is chosing between two out moded and horrorific systems the west or jihad... BOTH stand in the way of humanity and a whole better world.. they feed off each other and want us to be their cannon fodder and or supporters in their "holy wars" of terror and empire... for all of us it is in whatever country we live in to become people who oppose BOTH these horrors and to stop our own governments from continuing this human slaughtering... in this way we not only stand against the hate, but we unite the worlds people who have no interests in any of this madness continuing.

[Lyn Anderson]

And you guys are poised to possibly elect Trump. A little nervous to be your neighbour. :)

[redzone]

A little nervous to live here..

[Lyn Anderson]

His hate rhetoric gets everybody all fired up - don't think it will make us safer.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

yes, suddenly, because of an occurrence like orlando...when we should be loving and praying for all of us, all the time...not just when a tragedy strikes...really strong piece, KL

j.

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you. Yes. But one small thing, if it makes people rethink their hate, when it is there, in front of them, then at least, the person who did this heinous act got no closer to his goal.

[Lyn Anderson]

I feel I must be clear. By no means do I believe this thing should ever have happened, but that it has had the opposite effect is a certain kind of justice. And people should not be allowed to post on a poem then block you from commenting. P.S. I was brought up Catholic too, but I can acknowledge the church's mistakes, as well as radical ideologies coming from the Right that clearly are negative against many things, including homosexuals and people of non Christian backgrounds. To deny this is to deny the earth is round. P.P.S. I also understand why people would be angry, thinking that I am dissing their religion, or conversely, defending religion. It is not that simple, and I respect that. But one little church in one rinky dink Canadian town was asked to pray for victims of a terrible shooting in a night club in Orlando. This was before a lot of us had heard or seen the news. There was no mention of the fact that the club was gay, or in a gay district, or that the victims were gay. That might not be much, but it made me realize there is change, however small, in the small thinking of some places.