Studly King Arthur - Defender of Truth; Defender of Tradition.

Last night I tortured my husband during our movie night on account of the fact that we had unknowingly chosen a movie that was right up the marriage defense ally. So the movie went something like this: pause, scribble scribble, play...pause, scribble scribble, play. I took notes religiously (pun intended).

First Knight is the Hollywood version of the King Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot story. I truly despise the Guinevere/Lancelot part of this tale. It disgusts me that two adults can't seem to exercise enough self-control to preserve the sanctity of marriage especially when they had so many opportunities to pursue their relationship prior to the marriage of Gwen to King Arthur. But, I digress.

The true hero of this epic tale is the noble King Arthur - defender of right, truth, and light. His nemesis, Malagant, is the complete antithesis, a vile man bent on defeating right, truth, and light. Once a knight of the round table, brother to King Arthur, Malagant's break from light produced devastating consequences for the innocent villagers and children across the border from his land. In his desire for conquest and rule, he brutally ended the lives and trampled the freedoms of many.

So, Malagant goes for the gold when he sets his sights on acquiring Camelot for his own; and his brilliant plan is to triumph through theft and coercion. You see, Arthur's heart belongs to the beautiful Guinevere and Malagant knows that by manipulating or capturing her, he will strike a heavy blow to Arthur's Achilles heel and hold in his possession the most coveted bargaining chip.

In short, Guinevere refuses to sign Malagant's so-called "fair" treaty, denying him power in her native Lionesse. Arthur invites him to come to Camelot to discuss the issue. Here is the transcript of their conversation. What strikes me is the glaringly obvious parallels between Malagant's faulty logic and bravado and the gay rights movement's similar conduct and outcry.

GRA = Gay Rights Activists

Arthur opens his council with a prayer:

"May God grant us the wisdom to discover the right,

The will to choose it,

And the strength to make it endure. Amen."

Malagant [with petulance]: "Other people live by other laws, Arthur. Or is the law of Camelot to rule the entire world?"

(GRA - Why do we have to be "subjected" to your beliefs?)

Arthur [with authority]: "There are laws that enslave men, and laws that set them free. Either what we hold to be right and good and true IS right and good and true for all mankind under God, or we're just another robber tribe."

Malagant [threatening]: "Your fine words are talking you out of peace and into war."

(GRA - You're going to get what you deserve. We take no responsibility for our actions if you continue to deny us our supposed "rights").

Arthur [with conviction]: "There's a peace that's only to be found on the other side of war. If that battle must come, I will fight it!"

Knights of the Round Table [with loyalty]: "And I! And I! And I! And I!...."

Defenders of Traditional Marriage and Family [with urgency and conviction]:

Pearl - "And I!"

Beetle - "And I!"

Pomegranate - "And I!"

California Crusader - "And I!"

Kingfisher - "And I!"

Preserving Marriage - "And I!"

Journalista - "And I"

Standing for Truth - "And I"

Make My Vote Count - "And I"

A Shepherd's Voice - "And I"

Protect Biblical Marriage - "And I"

Article VI Blog - "And I"

(and the list could go on and on)

Malagant [with derision]: "The great Arthur and his great dream. No dream lasts forever."

[Discontented Malagant stomps off]

When he isn't promptly delivered what he wants on a silver platter, Malagant plots to take it by force (GRA - If the people of California won't give us what we want, we'll just rant and rave and throw the ultimate tantrum until they are intimidated and cowed into concession). He kidnaps something precious to Arthur (Guinevere) and in a show of ultimate contempt and disrespect, he strips it of its decency and modesty then mocks its very core (GRA - Defacing temples with graffiti, attacking innocent people, threatening, intimidating, etc.).

Lancelot saves Guinevere and returns her to Arthur.

Relentless in his hunger for authority and sovereignty, Malagant violently seizes Lionesse, drawing Arthur to defend the terrorized nation. When Arthur out-maneuvers him and his plan fails miserably, the petulant Malagant then meets Arthur on his own turf, infiltrating the great city of Camelot and surrounding citizens during the public hearing of adulterous Lancelot and Guinevere.

The pinnacle of this tale is achieved when Malagant and Arthur meet face to face, with Arthur clearly outnumbered and bested. The ensuing dialogue between the two leaders - one clearly right and the other clearly wrong - is so absolutely in sync with our times and our struggles against those forces who would promote practices that will ultimately destroy the fundamental and essential family unit.

Malagant [accusatory]: "The strong rule the weak; that's how your God made the world."

Arthur [patient]: "God makes us strong only for a while so that we can help each other."

Malagant [scornfully and forcefully]: "My God makes me strong so I CAN LIVE MY LIFE."

Malagant [speaking to the people]: "Arthur says to you, 'serve one another.' Well when are you going to start living for yourselves? Now THIS is the freedom I bring you. Freedom from Arthur's tyrannical dream. Freedom from Arthur's tyrannical law. FREEDOM FROM ARTHUR'S TYRANNICAL GOD!"

Malagant [speaking to Arthur again; demanding]: "I want your people to see you kneel before me, hero. Kneel before me, or die."

(GRA - We will accept nothing less than complete and total acceptance of our lifestyle, or else....)

Arthur dies entreating his people to never surrender to domination and forced submission; to fight to the death for right and freedom.

And so I will. I will fight as long as I have my voice: fight for my freedom of religion, fight to protect family and marriage and society, fight for the innocence of my children.

Dang Those White, Religious, Old, Poor People!

Okay, okay.  I know I just posted, but I can't help myself.  I've been reading this poll that was released by the Public Policy Institute of California on blogs here and there.  Tonight I took the time to actually read an entire article about it and it made me laugh.  That's probably due, in part, to the clear bias of the writer, Justin Ewers.  I mean, he is entitled to his opinion, but then I hope he is an opinion columnist and not a news reporter.  Anyway, here's a note to self - the publication of Justin Ewers' very biased opinion is more evidence of the extremely conspicuous MSM slant. Don't believe me?  Read this excerpt from this same article we're about to discuss:

"Some observers found it ironic that while an African-American was finally winning the presidency, his strongest supporters appeared to be torpedoing the rights of another historically persecuted minority group. 'It was the black vote that voted down gay marriage,' Bill O'Reilly said almost gleefully on Fox News." 

So, back to the Perpetrator Poll.  Well ... read first and I'll meet you on the other side of this segment:

"The poll released today by the Public Policy Institute of California, though, finds that Prop 8's strongest support came not from African-Americans but from white conservatives, born-again Christians, and low-income voters. Party affiliation, age, and religion played a far greater role in determining the measure's final outcome than race, the poll finds. More than 3 in 4 Republicans voted to ban same-sex marriage in the state, as did 85 percent of evangelical voters. Only 43 percent of all voters between the ages of 18 and 34 supported the ban, while 56 percent of those over 55 did.

Voters on the coast generally supported same-sex marriage and the more culturally conservative inland areas of the state voted against it, but ultimately it was income and education—much more than race—that determined voters' preferences. While only 43 percent of college graduates voted to ban gay marriage, 69 percent of voters with a high school degree or less voted for the proposition. Nearly 2 in 3 voters making less than $40,000 a year voted for Prop 8, while 55 percent of those making $80,000 or more voted against it."

So, what's the underlying message J-dawg wishes to convey?  Is it, "Hooray for violent protests against religions!  We were right!  Spray paint away, troops!"?  Or perhaps it is, "Screw the old people. They're so dense and backward.  They wouldn't know civil rights if they were hit over the head with them."  (Let's just forget that they were the ones who actually lived during the real deal, the Black Civil Rights Movement).  Or, better yet, maybe Ewers is loving this "uneducated people voted for Prop 8" angle. Pshaw.  As if level of education is equivalent to or indicative of intelligence.  Sorry, no can equate, good buddy.  Not in this country.  Let me remind you that we have the poorest excuse for an education system, so don't tell me that a high school diploma as opposed to a college degree is any indication of lack of intelligence.  Accusations of that sort, be they overt or embedded, are pure stupidity. Here are a few names of little ol' uneducated people to jog your memory.  All of these humble folk either didn't go to college or dropped out before they graduated.  And yet, their unintelligence (by your standards, Mr. Newsman) has earned them more money than you can prossibly dream of. Here are your stupid smart people, Justin-tolerant:

Mary Kay Ash

Richard Branson

Coco Chanel

Simon Cowell

Michael Dell

Barry Diller

Walt Disney

Debbie Fields

Henry Ford

Bill Gates

Milton Hershey

Steve Jobs

Rachael Ray

Ty Warner

Frank Lloyd Wright

Sheesh!  There sure are a lot of stupid millionaires.  But, since we really can't make a valid case for the education factor, let's move on from dumb people and pick apart poor people.  These humble tyrants must be the real perpetrators.  Dang poor people.  Ah, well, we'd better not protest at soup kitchens, that would look really bad for our cause.  So, let's stick with the Mormons and we'll just sneakily boycott and blacklist the heck out of the wicked and intolerant poor people on the side. Just as an aside here, I think it's a fair assumption that a large portion of those same poor people gave of their money to support Proposition 8 (considering a staggering $36 million was raised for the Yes on 8 campaign).  I find it commendable that these people who are struggling to survive on a meager income are willing to part with precious money in order to protect a sacred tradition and institution.  I find it far less commendable when a high profile Hollywood star throws $1 million at a cause that would eventually lead to the disintegration of the family definition best equipped to provide children with the safest, most nurturing, and least confused life.

So, since the religious angle is bigoted, and the uneducated angle got an F, and the poor angle didn't make cents (pun intended), how about pick on the old people for supporting Proposition 8? This just makes me sad.  My Granny and Grandpa lived with us throughout my adolescence. The America I grew up in held the elderly in the highest regard.  They were not treated with scorn and derision and neglected the way they are today.  The aged are wise for a very good reason, they've lived longer than the rest of us and have seen more than the rest of us.  We would do well to live by the guidance of our elders. Instead we are quick to discount them because they can't figure out e-mail and they tell the same jokes over and over and they sometimes have bad breath and need more help than makes us comfortable.  We are a very messed up society indeed if we put more stock in the rantings and ravings of young adults than we do in the quiet conviction of our wise elders.

Ah, 'tis a twisted world we live in.  And let's not forget that it is the meek and humble who, after enduring unthinkable persecution from the wicked, will inherit the earth.  Oh, but wait, that's a religious reference.  I'm not allowed to use scripture to support my beliefs.  I forget.  Religion has been overruled by the great, demanding secular church whose gospel is one of self-gratification and scorn for believers.

So, I thank the Public Policy Institute of California for illuminating the comforting fact that gay marriage supporters are largely secular, young, rich people.  That definitely boosts my confidence in gay marriage. Not.

"Prop 8 - The Musical" - Starring Jack Black, Margaret Cho, & John C. Reilly

*BEWARE - OFFENSIVE CONTENT*

Subliminal messages:

Gay marriage is trendy, youthful, and light; traditional Marriage is prudish, outdated, and black.

Love is all you need; the Bible is hocus pocus.

Gay marriage is right and good because all the money spent on weddings will save our economy. 

*Oh brother*

My take:

If this is what passes for comedy now days, I'll have no part of it.  It didn't make me laugh; it made me roll my eyes and throw my hands up in exasperation and disbelief.  I find it telling that the director went straight for mocking religious beliefs, completely ignoring the fact that there are stacks and stacks of secular research studies which prove that the gay lifestyle is violent, destructive, diseased, and unwholesome (check out the resources section here).  In truth, the reality of the gay lifestyle is a far cry from the bouncing, singing, "gaiety" depicted on the "beach" in this insipid musical.  The reality that is so conspicuously absent from this supposed "humor" is that of AIDS, violence and domestic abuse, broken homes, confused children, and a genderless, dead-end society, left stripped and scorned in the frigid cold, hugging its identity-complexed, family-murdered, dysfunctional self.

Reality Check:

Supporters of traditional marriage

(not anti-gay people, just anti-gay marriage)

Supporters of gay marriage 

(mockers and haters of all things religious)

Stark contrast, eh?  Let's be honest here, do these pictures inspire confidence in the gay community's touted love theme?  Does this look like a poor, victimized, minority that needs constitutional protection? Are these the same frolicking, gay beach-goers so "gaily" depicted in Prop 8 - The Musical?  The answer is a resounding "NO." Kinda like the one gays already got when 52% of Californians said that gay marriage was not acceptable to them.  Seems like we've got ourselves some kids who need a lesson on poor sportsmanship.  Gays need a modern-day Martin Luther who can teach them to be respectful and peaceful as they promote their so-called "rights."

And last....

Jack Black as Jesus?  Give me a break.  Check out this Jack Black Biography excerpt:

"This being the Seventies in Los Angeles, the parents believed that one should not say No to one's children, making life ever more volatile. Beyond this, there was what Black later described as weird family stuff, not wife-swapping exactly, but swinging. 'It was funny', he said 'and not funny ha-ha'."

Couldn't say "no" in the Seventies.  Gee, imagine that.  Perhaps, and this is just a theory, but perhaps the lack of parental discipline then is what feeds this sense of entitlement so prevalent among youth today.  Eh?  Can I get a "holla?!"  Just a thought.  So, anyway, back to Black.  He says he grew up with an awareness of the "weird" sexual practices of his parents, claiming it wasn't exactly ideal, but in a twisted turn-about he now supports the unconventional. (???)  Hm.  And then there's this....

"Black met cellist Tanya Haden, one of jazz great Charlie Haden's triplet daughters. In fact, he'd first met Haden back at his specialist high school, but the pair had never dated. Now, after just months together, they'd elope, getting married in March, 2006, with Haden bearing him his first child, son Samuel, that June."

Black doesn't exactly have the greatest track record to be able to establish what is good and right and to represent the Savior of the world.  When did sacred things become so openly and brazenly subjected to mockery without so much as a "by your leave?"  When were we taught to laugh at blasphemy and promote immorality?  When did Jack Black, Margaret Cho, and John C. Reilly become authorities on the Bible? And when did their opinion take precedence over thousands of years worth of Biblical teachings from the Savior Himself and His prophets?

Oh I could go on and on, but I'll save it for another post.  Coming up...discussion on how the media has spearheaded the moral neutering of society.

Mormon is the New Black - A Thanksgiving Story

Tonight (or I guess I should actually say last night) I watched Glory Road. Based on a true story, the inspirational movie chronicles a 1960's Black college basketball team who, against all odds, wins the NCAA Championships. The team was not completely made up of African American players, but after several incidents of racism, discrimination, and intimidation aimed at the Black members, Coach Haskins and "the White" teammates got fed up and turned the fight for the NCAA Championship over to their Black Brothers. In doing so, the NCAA win became a sort of "stick-it-to-the-man" victory.

Rising out of obscurity in a racist world, these Black basketball players were viciously targeted by White supremacists. At one point in the movie the players returned to their motel room after a game to find racial slurs, threats, and profanities splattered on their walls in blood. At another point, one of the players was surrounded by three White men in a bathroom, brutally beaten, and dunked in a toilet almost to the point of drowning.

In the wake of Proposition 8, a popular phrase has sprung into being and is being widely circulated on the Internet and throughout media outlets. I have heard it often alleged that "Gay is the new Black." Supposedly gays are the oppressed, battered, African-American sequels. I protest that comparison and would suggest a more accurate one. In a near-perfect echo of the horrific monstrosities played out against the Black Texas Western basketball players, I propose that in truth, "Mormon is the new Black." Seeing those blood-splattered motel walls immediately brought to mind the graffiti-littered LA Temple walls and angry, anti-Mormon epithets hoisted up on homemade signs, swaying to and fro above a seething, volatile crowd. "Ban the Mormons!" This is the current and beloved call of gay rights activists. Watching that Black basketball player being beaten senseless in a filthy public bathroom reminded me of the elderly couple beaten mercilessly by their neighbor for exercising their freedom of speech by placing Yes on 8 signs in their yard, and the young Hispanic women attacked by gay rights activists while trying to remove vulgar signs from sacred temple property, and the elderly woman in Palm Springs who endured the mockery and rage of a vicious crowd who promptly snuffed out her freedom of speech as they ripped her cross from her hands and crushed it under foot. The anger of this mob knows no bounds and the religious - Mormon, Evangelical, and Catholic alike - are the unfortunate victims.

The gay "rights" movement is steam-rolling forward powered by blood-lust and rage, leaving in its wake a carnage the likes of which this country has not seen since Blacks were sent to the back of the bus. While this new, millennial movement claims love and equal rights as its objectives; lying in its wake is the antithetical and conspicuous reality - the tattered remains of freedom of speech and religion. At the end of the rigidly pointing homosexual fingers stand the Mormons, being sent to the back of the bus for equally unfair reasons as their beloved African American brothers - they voted.

Mormon is the new Black.

Today, Thanksgiving 2008, I recognize and express gratitude for many wonderful things in my life. And at the same time I watch the steady vanquishing of freedoms so dear and so sacred. It's clear our country is in need of a Religion champion in the same way Lincoln championed Blacks.

["Our founding fathers did not wish to have a state church established nor to have a particular religion favored by government. They wanted religion to be free to make its own way. But neither did they intend to have irreligion made into a favored state church.

Notice the terrible irony if this trend were to continue. When the secular church goes after its heretics, where are the sanctuaries? To what landfalls and Plymouth Rocks can future pilgrims go?" - Neal A. Maxwell]

["When they came for the gypsies, I said nothing, because I wasn't a gypsy. When they came for the homosexuals, I said nothing, because I wasn't a homosexual. When they came for the Jews, I said nothing, because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I said nothing, because I wasn't a Catholic......then they came for me, and there was no one left to defend me." - Neimoller in Nazi Germany]