British chaplin wants to use tattoos like Nazi stars

I was considering taking a look at some news on tattoos and happened to do a search on what has been happening. There of course was news on Angelina Jolie getting tattoos for her twins, and that was kind of interesting. I considered speaking on that until I saw something that really made me stop.

In a flash I read the title of this article and saw the Nazi’s forcing Jew’s to wear yellow stars and gays to wear pink triangles. I was reminded of the horror of small minds acting in the most horrific manner to eliminate anyone that was not just like them.

The title was

Homosexuals should carry warning tattoos, says chaplain

Upon reading the article I found that Rev Dr Peter Mullen, who is titled as chaplin to the London Stock Exchange (a hobnorary title it seems as the LSE claims), wrote in a blog interview

“Let us make it obligatory for homosexuals to have their backsides tattooed with the slogan SODOMY CAN SERIOUSLY DAMAGE YOUR HEALTH and their chins with FELLATIO KILLS."

The blog was uncreditied and it seems that the entire post was removed. Still that does not change the fact that the comments were made. Rev. Mullen defends himself essentially stating that this was just English humor, and if readers were smart enough they would recognize this and get a chiuckle.

I’m sorry Rev. Mullen, I am familiar with and enjoy English humor. I love the bawdy nature of it, and the often dry delivery. I have lived overseas and had many friends from Britian. I understand British satire well, and those statements are not humorous.

Rev. mullen has also written in that blog post on homosexuals

“clearly unnatural, a perversion and corruption of natural instincts and affections, and because it is a cause of fatal disease.”

So that comment coupled with his wish for branding is supposed to be a joke? I suppose that a KKK member in a white hood burning a cross on my lawn and calling me the N-word in the middle of the night would be a belly-aching raucous laugh riot.

Bollocks!

Tattoos are meant to be an expression of the person with the tattoo. A piece of body art that highlights the essence of the person tattooed. They are NOT a means of branding, discrimination, or persecution.

The outright evil that statement embodies is almost unmentionable. It is difficult to accuately convey in words the anger this evokes in me. And I have to wonder who else is on the list of greatest jokes Rev. Mullen might have. Short people, those of different races, different religions?

Humor is a fine line in many cases. Some jokes don’t translate countries or other demographics. That being a given there is an obvious and dramatic point at which you know you have gone so far as to be just vile. And I often find those who go that far are more expressing their own personal bile and miniscule thoughts than anything else.

In Britian there are calls for the Rev. Mullen to resign or be fired. That is at least what should happen. I would love to see Rev. Mullen explain the humor and “satire” of his comment to Holocaust survivors on British television live.

This is not the light or popular post on tattoos I intended. But I think it is far more, it is vital and potent. Because if this were taken by anyone as a joke, as something of a trifle, then we all start on the road that leads to Auschwitz for any number of people that don’t meet the racist, bigoted, small-minded, irrational, fearful, disgusting standard of some twisted gene pool reject.

Heinz – For love or money?

I have just seen the latest Heinz mayonnaise commercial. This commercial was made for England, where it has aired. That is important because either Heinz thought this would appeal to the aptly named British dry wit or it was afraid of letting the American public see this.

Some find it funny, some see a political statement. I see the political statement.

What do you see? What do you think?

Legally marked for Ridicule

Oh the injustice, if only we could have seen it coming.

Seriously, there is an injustice and it is unexpected. In fact, psychics here in the U.S. should keep an eye out. The problem is not an astral or paranormal one but is a concern of law.

In the U.K. a law has been passed that required mediums, psychics and others in the paranormal pursuits that enhance or earn a living via this arena to have to label their communications with the public as 'only entertainment'.

There are millions if not billions that believe in some form of the paranormal. There have been documentations of mediums, psychics, fortune tellers and so on since before recorded time, and mentioned in tomes as revered as The Bible. Given all that, it is still looked upon with suspicious eyes and mistrust. This law is the next step on that path.

Even worse is the thought that if any one industry can be labeled for chastisement and ridicule then where does it end? Especially in an industry where the main purpose is the benefit and comfort of the general public?

Some would say, well that’s the U.K. America is different, we’re free. Of course that does not resolve one thing. England is free too.

Toddler power beats drug ring

Criminals these days must deal with many factors, especially if they are involved in drugs. Sniffing dogs, DEA, INTERPOL, detectives, narcotics officers, informants and more are just a few of the hurdles they must outwit or avoid. But for those that can clear all these hurdles, there is one more defender of the law that they have to be prepared for. Toddlers.

Yes toddlers. To be more specific, in England there is 3 year old Kian Parlour, who recently cause an international drug ring to be found and closed. In a somewhat Clouseu-ish act, little Kian was able to do what no one else was.

As it turns out, Kian’s parents were holding onto several packages for their neighbors who were away on a vacation. This is nothing strange as like many neighbors the Parlour’s were doing this and had had it done for them while they were away. But Kian saw the packages stacked in the hallway and decided he needed to see what was inside. Once the packages were opened he presented the prize to his mother, who realized they were drugs and not candy. A quick call to the police and the neighbors’ holiday was at an end.

In total 640,000 pills of diazepam were found, all shipped from Sri Lanka. The neighbors were sentenced to 3 ½ and 2 ½ years individually. And roughly $57,000 worth of drugs were removed from the streets of England. All due to perhaps the youngest sleuth of all.

What if they took away Black History Month? - 2.29.2008.1

What if Black History Month was removed? Would anyone have noticed? Would anyone complain?

It seems not.

Why would I say this? Because I just learned that the school system in Endicott New York has removed all Black studies in the curriculum. There was nothing discussed in this past month about Black History, not even Dr. Martin Luther King, because the entire subject was deemed unimportant.

Hello, stop and read that again. Unimportant and having no place in the minds of any of the children, including those that are African American. And this was all done without a single word to the parents, a single complaint from ANY of the students. It was just wiped out without a concern as if it was no more than a piece of errant string found on a piece of clothing.

Why am I upset? What if the school decided not to discuss the Holocaust, or Native American history? What if all the history about England was removed, or France, or Ancient Rome? What if history in schools forgot about President George Washington, just not ever mentioning what he did, or the Constitution?

People would be up in arms. Parents would be inflamed. Jewish communities would claim its anti-Semitic, Native American Indians would say it’s a slap in the face. Whole communities would demand a reason why their rich pasts were being denied their children. Cries that the fundamental based of what is America was being corrupted.

And I ask, in what way is this different? How are the lives and blood of the African Americans that helped build and shape this nation any less important than anyone else? I am not just talking about the Slaves that literally built the foundations of the nation, but the inventors that created thousands of items we use every day, like the stoplight, or save millions of lives, like blood transfusions. How can we value the lives of soldiers like the Tuskegee Airmen, or those that fought in the Civil War, or the American Revolution with any less honor than every other American.

I don’t know how we can equate those lives and contributions as less, but obviously this town in Upstate New York has. I’m willing to bet that they aren’t the only ones. What are the odds that kids in Montana, or Florida, or Ohio, or any other State have no idea about these inventions or people? How many believe that being a slave, less than a dog or piece of furniture, was no different than having trouble getting a job? I know there are more than a few as I’ve read comments that insist that the trouble the Irish had in getting a job was the same as working 20 hours a day for your entire life, with no days off or concern for your health, without pay, and with the reality that at any moment your entire family may be sold away from you and that you can be killed for no more than amusement or the crime of looking at the wrong person.

If we can allow these schools to just toss away a piece of American History, a history of an essential people that helped found and defend this nation, what will go next? Dr. Martin Luther King’s Holiday? A holiday that over half the nation fought from coming into existence, and many still ignore? Maybe the laws dealing with segregation could be next. And if we get that far, why not restate Jim Crow? Hell, just bring slavery back and make it national.

It’s not that crazy. Slavery was just 5 lifetimes ago for some families. Jim Crow was just 2 or 3. Segregation was just 1. And a people without a history aren’t really a people are they?

And this was so important an issue, that not one child mentioned it. Not one parent noticed. Not one meeting was held. It was just understood that it was ok. As long as no one spoke about it, and no one asked why.

So as long as no one asks you if you are Black, or Hispanic, or whatever color, religion, or background you claim, you are nothing. And you can’t hurt nothing. You can’t defend, offend, steal from, brutalize, rape, murder or anything to nothing. And in Upstate New York, that’s what they are equating being African American with. Perhaps the Jews will be next?

Are you nothing? Is your history, your family nothing? Are you sure?

“Don’t learn Black History because of what you know, learn it because of what you don’t know” – C. Miller

I don’t have children. I’m not a teacher or involved in the school system. Maybe that’s a cop out, maybe not. But I am now aware, and so are you. Part of my responsibility is to let you know, and ask for your comments. What will you do?