Ain't That America: Major Jason Watson Was Arrested

Last week Major Jason Watson, an active-duty Air Force officer, stood on the Capitol steps and held up a sign that read: Impeach, Convict, Remove.

He didn’t even put it down when police handcuffed him.

Major Watson has worn the uniform for over twenty years and risked his career, his pension, and his own freedom to say out loud what most of Congress won't.

He wasn't breaking any rule when he started. Demonstrating on the Capitol steps is legal, but only if a sitting member of Congress is standing with you. Texas Democratic Representative Al Green stood by Major Watson’s side.

For as long as Green stood beside him, a man in an Air Force uniform holding a protest sign was perfectly within the law … but then Green walked away. And the moment he was gone Capitol Police told Major Watson to stop or be arrested. He did not stop and he was arrested and booked under a statute called Crowding, Obstructing, and Incommoding, and led him off the steps of the very building he swore an oath to protect.

Major Watson is on leave from his post as a logistics readiness officer in Poland. He isn't a Democrat and says he knows next to nothing about Congressman Al Green's politics. But what he does know is that thirteen American service members are dead after strikes on Iran and Venezuela that Congress never voted for, and that the Constitution he memorized gives the power to start those wars to the Capitol, not the Oval Office.

So he came to the Capitol and said it to their faces.

A military pension is not a small thing to gamble. Neither is a criminal record. Watson bet both on the chance that a few members of Congress might feel some shame watching an active-duty airman get cuffed for holding a piece of cardboard.

The odds are not good. Green forced a vote on impeachment this year and the House killed it 237 to 140; two dozen Democrats crossed the aisle to make sure it never reached an up-or-down count.

Major Watson accused the president of shredding the Constitution, which he did, and  left the Capitol in handcuffs. He walked up to the most powerful government on earth with a scrap of cardboard and an oath he wouldn't break, and dared it to arrest him for reading the Constitution back to its face.

And it did.

That ain’t America.

Stand up.

Speak up.

Stand with Major Jason Watson.

CAST A GODDAMNED VOTE!!!

The Bad and The Good ... Monday April 18, 2022

These really are the easiest posts to compile, because, literally, there are dumb people everywhere ... but that's what makes it so frightening. So this week, I decided to include some Good News as sort of a palette cleanser for the crazies …

Florida

The Department of Education has said the state will exclude over fifty proposed math textbooks because their content included references to critical race theory and other “prohibited topics” and “unsolicited strategies.”

In math books?

Perhaps they were suspicious of the “secret” meanings behind the = and ≠ signs?

I mean, it is Flori-duh, after all.

GEORGIA

GOP Governor Brian Kemp is expected to sign a bill allowing Georgia residents to carry handguns in public without a license or background check into law Tuesday.

Yes, you don’t need a license, and no one will check if you are a criminal, a domestic batterer, a thief, a person suffering from mental illness, or just an angry White man looking to even the score.

What could go wrong?

Florida

GOPQanon Governor Ron DeSantis has joined his fellow Republican governors in stomping on a woman’s right to make her own healthcare choices by signing a bill banning abortions after 15 weeks.

The bill does not grant exemptions for rape, incest or human trafficking.

So, Florida, if your husband rapes you daughter, set up the nursery! If any woman is being trafficked and ends up pregnant, then traffic the baby, too.

Always remember that in Florida, woman cannot choose.

Mississippi

For the third year in a row, GOP Governor Tate Reeves has declared April to be Confederate Heritage Month, keeping a tradition his predecessors began 29 years ago, saying:

“April is the month when, in 1861, the American Civil War began between the Confederate and Union armies, reportedly the costliest and deadliest war ever fought on American soil.”

And, this is rich, after issuing the same proclamation last year, Reeves appeared Fox News to say there “is not systemic racism in America.”

Reeves' Confederate Heritage Month proclamation comes a month after he signed a so-called "critical race theory" ban into law, saying CRT "humiliates" white people and makes white children "feel guilty because of their race."

No, they feel guilty letting racist pricks govern their state.

And now for some good …

Pennsylvania

Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has pulled ahead as the US Senate frontrunner over Conor Lamb, with 41% of registered Democrats saying they support him and 17% of voters supporting Lamb.

Fetterman first gained notoriety in 2013 when, as mayor of a small Pennsylvania town, he defied state law and performed a same-sex marriage ceremony. In 2021 he made national news by defying a ban on rainbow flags in the Pennsylvania Capitol.

Vote Blue Pennsylvania.

Tennessee

The General Assembly’s bill that sought to create a legal marriage pathway available only to straight couples will not advance this year following public outcry over the initial version of the legislation.

After a tough line of questions from GOP colleagues bill sponsor Representative Tom Leatherwood said he wanted to send the bill to summer study. The move kills the bill for the session, though it could re-emerge next year.

Good.

Kansas

Democrat Governor Laura Kelly vetoed a proposal that would have banned transgender athletes from girls’ sports and another that would have required schools to let parents challenge classroom curriculum, something she calls a “teacher demoralization act.”

Republican lawmakers are expected to try to override both of the vetoes, but face potentially long odds.

Good.

America

With at least 15 states enacting or considering bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, the U.S. Air Force is offering medical, legal, and relocation assistance to servicemembers whose families have been harmed by such laws, according to a recent press release:

“Various laws and legislation are being proposed and passed in states across America that may affect LGBTQ Airmen, Guardians, and/or their LGBTQ dependents in different ways. The Department of the Air Force [DAF] has assignment, medical, legal and other resources available to support Airmen, Guardians and their families. The health, care and resilience of our DAF personnel and their families is not just our top priority … We are closely tracking state laws and legislation to ensure we prepare for and mitigate effects to our Airmen, Guardians and their families. Medical, legal resources, and various assistance are available for those who need them.”

Also, if the service members live in states where it’s illegal for trans youth to get medical care, “Commanders can work to get the service member to an assignment where their loved ones can receive the care they need.”

The Air Force is the only branch of the U.S. military known to be offering these services to servicemembers and their queer and trans family members.

Now, that’s Good News.

Please note that the Good News, the sensible news, comes from Democrat-run states, and Democratic Governors. That speaks volumes.

Get educated and save yourselves from The Stupids.

And CAST A GODDAMNED VOTE!

Random Musings

First off ... big shout-out to Anne Marie for her donation to The Will of the People Fund —click that lick up there on the right — a group Carlos and I helped create to fight for marriage equality in South Carolina.

Thanks Anne Marie, for the donation-slash-wedding-gift in our name.

You don't know how much we appreciate it!

So, I mentioned last week that Carlos and I ordered our wedding bands. I mentioned that Carlos had been into the “Smallville Jewelers” a couple of weeks back and how receptive they were to selling bands to a same-sex couple. I mentioned that when I looked at the rings — in silver, platinum and tungsten because I am not a golden kind of gay — I picked one that I really liked and Carlos told me he had also picked that very same ring.

Great minds, right?

Cut to the weekend and Carlos and I are in the car and he says to me, “Do you really like the rings?”

Yes.”

“We could get something else if you want …”

“Wait! You want a different ring?”

“No, I really like the ones we chose but if you want a different ring …”

“UM, why would I walk into a jewelry store, pick a ring, found out it’s the same exact mother%^$ing ring you’d pick, get our fingers sized, place the order and then decide I wanted something different?”

“I just want to make sure you like them.”

Oy.

Ann Romney, that insufferable Republican bitch, and wife to serial loser Mittsy Romney, is back in the spotlight saying her husband would have prevented the current ISIS mess … or made a fortune off of it … and then, when asked if Mittsy would run in 2016, she said, oh so sickeningly sweet, "We will see."

Let him run, and when he becomes a three-time loser maybe then this self-involved, out of touch, wannabe queen of America will shut her stinking piehole for good.

God, I loathe her.

UPDATE:

After an airman was unable to complete his reenlistment because he omitted the part of a required oath that states “so help me God,” the Air Force changed its instructions for the oath and, following a review of the policy by the Department of Defense General Counsel, the Air Force will now permit airmen to omit the phrase, should they so choose.

The change is effective immediately.

Good, since we are going back to war and will need as many military men and women as possible, eh?

Still, it was a stupid policy and it’s nice to see it ended so soon.

After arrest warrants were issued, three of the suspects involved in that mob gay bashing of a gay couple in Philadelphia turned themselves into police. They are: 

Kevin Harrigan, Kathryn Knott, and Philip Williams.

Most galling of all is that these three, and hopefully any and all others involved in the attack, will not be charged with committing a hate crime as Pennsylvania hate crimes laws don’t cover sexual orientation because, well, gay people are less than.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: if you bash a couple because they are gay, that’s hate; if you bash a couple because you want their wallet, that’s hateful.

There is a difference.

Now, while I abhor violence of any kind, the more I read about what these f&kmonkeys did, and especially read Kathryn Knott’s homophobic Tweets, I wish the punishment would be that they endure the exact same public beating they gave that couple.

And then lock them up for a good long while.

New TV season Hottie Alert:

Ioan Griffudd, of ABCs Forever about an immortal man who works in a morgue and dies every episode only to be brought back to life. It’s like Sherlock Holmes, who never dies. But Ioan is adorable with a delicious accent, so we’ll stick around for a while with this one.

And Las Alonzo, from The Mysteries of Laura AKA Grace Adler is a Cop Now. The show is cute, kinda funny, kinda serious, but I fell it could be wearing thin after a few views. But Las is definite eye candy while we watch.

Color me surprised, but a group of Texas county sheriffs and law enforcement officers have filed a brief with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals this week in support of marriage equality.

Yes, in support of marriage equality.

The letter, filed by Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia, Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, and more than 50 other Texans working in law enforcement, said, in part:

 “Gay and lesbian law enforcement officers and other first responders put on their uniforms, place themselves in harm’s way to protect and defend our communities, and swear to uphold our laws without prejudice or bias. … They serve our communities with equal distinction, skill, and bravery. But Texas denies these men and women the equal dignity and respect they deserve. Texas does not treat them equally in their day-to-day work, nor, tragically, even when they make the ultimate sacrifice.”

Good on Texas and good on law enforcement.

Fun Fact: President Obama and Tea Party Senator Ted Cruz are cousins—14^th cousins to be exact.

Picture that Thanksgiving dinner!

Oy.

Just in time for our wedding, new census data released last week makes a simple, but oh so substantial change in the ways that same-sex couples will be categorized now.

We are now considered families.

In prior years, the U.S. Census Bureau counted same-sex couples as “unmarried partners” — even if they were legally married — but starting with the new annual American Community Survey, same-sex couples will be counted in the family totals.

It sounds so minor, really, but it’s a huge deal; we are no longer co-habitators or partners or buddies or friends of the same-sex with benefits … we are family.

I might break out into a little Sister Sledge!

Overheard at work:

Racist, homophobic, idiotic Republican client: “What was all that protesting about climate change in New York? That’s just stupid. I say let Mother Nature take care of it.”

Me [to myself, way under my breath because I’ve learned not to poke the racist, homophobic, idiotic Republican client]: “That’s the problem you moron, Mother Nature is doing what she does because of what we’ve done.”

Asshat.

Have You Heard? If You Don't Swear To 'God' You Can't Join The Air Force

I never wanted to join the military, even though I come from a military family. My father served twenty-plus years in the Air Force and even my sister enlisted. But I never had the inkling to join up, probably because I am staunchly anti-gun, anti-violence, anti-war; yeah, maybe that had something to do with it. But I am grateful for the men and women who do join up, in any branch of the military, and I respect and value their service, and their desire to serve.

Sadly, though, the Air Force doesn’t seem so keen on some enlistees, especially someone who wants to reenlist. At a time when the Air Force, and any branch of service, should be holding the door open to anyone who wants to serve, and is capable of serving, they have decided not to allow one man to reenlist because he crossed out the words "so help me God" at the end of the Air Force oath of allegiance.

His attorney, Monica Miller, with the Apignani Humanist Legal Center, says her client was informed the Air Force would not accept his reenlistment contract because he had crossed out the ‘God’ and that he had just two options: say the oath as written, or leave the Air Force.

In a letter to the inspectors general of the Air Force, Miller said the airman should be allowed to reenlist under a secular oath, and not have to swear to ‘God’ and added that the airman is set to sue the Air Force if he is not allowed to reenlist.

What’s odd is that, up until last October, you were allowed to omit the words ‘so help me God’ from the oath, but for some reason the rules were changed and now this man, who has served his country already, and wants to continue his service, won’t be allowed to because, well, God.

An Air Force spokeswoman confirmed the new policy:

"Reciting ‘So help me God’ in the reenlistment and commissioning oaths is a statutory requirement under Title 10 USC 502. (AFI 36-2606) is consistent with the language mandated in 10 USC 502. Paragraph 5.6 [and] was changed in October 2013 to reflect the aforementioned statutory requirement and airmen are no longer authorized to omit the words ‘So help me God'.”

Basically, the Air Force cannot change its instructions to make “so help me God” optional unless Congress — oh lordy, now the Do-Nothing-Congress is involved — changes the law requiring it. Never mind the fact that to an airman, an atheist airman, swearing to God would be a lie, and never mind that, according to Miller, Article VI of the Constitution prohibits religious tests, and therefore In fact, in the trumps the Air Force Instruction. In fact, in the 1961 case Torcaso v. Watkins, the Supreme Court ruled that “neither a State nor the Federal Government can constitutionally force a person ‘to profess a belief or disbelief in any religion.’”

You know, that whole Freedom of Religion thing we thought we had going on in this country.

As I was saying, I never wanted to be part of the military, and yet here we have someone who has served, and wants to continue serving, but will not be allowed to reenlist because he refuses to swear to God.

This is really getting ridiculous, y’all.

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Happy Memorial Day ... Say Thanks

More Good News Friday: Erwynn and Will Get Hitched .... On Base

Tech. Sgt. Erwynn Umali and his partner, Will Behrens, were united in a civil union ceremony last week. That's nice, eh?

But what makes it different is that these two men had their civil union ceremony at the military base where Umali is stationed. And dozens of friends and family members attended the ceremony which was presided over by Kay Reeb, a Navy chaplain with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, who also serves at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

Erwynn Umali and Will Behrens:

“We are so honored to be a part of this historic moment to be one of the first gay couples allowed to unite in a civil union on a military base,” the couple said in a statement after the ceremony. We hope to be an inspiration to others in the LGBT community that struggle with the challenge of marriage equality. And that this issue is not just about the military, but the equal sacrifice and shared burdens of our loved ones who are civilians.”

And Reeb, who has never presided over a civil union ceremony before, was delighted to take part: 

"I told them the same thing I tell every couple — love each other and trust in each other and in God, that’s what keeps us together.”

Also attending the ceremony was former Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, the first U.S. service member seriously injured in the Iraq War. He later came out as gay and worked diligently in the efforts to overturn DADT: 

"It’s blessing for me to be here today. A historic event like this shows that progress is being made.”

Air Force Capt. Ryan Quinn, another guest, said: 

“I really do think this is an important event. And I was happy to be here with them and their families. The amount of support I’ve seen for them from the people (at the base) and the military community makes me proud to serve in the Air Force.”

Hopefully that same pride that the military is showing toward the LGBT community since the end of DADT will one day translate to the civilian community. Maybe one day they will attend our weddings as we have often attended theirs.

Equality is a beautiful thing.

via The Army Times

A Memorable Memorial Day: After DADT

from left: gay midshipmen  Caitlin Bryant, Kay Moore, Nick Bonsall, and Andrew Atwill   

Last year, Andrew Atwil's roommate at the Naval Academy joked that Atwill was gay, and Atwill told him to cut it out; because he is gay. And because, last year, Atwill could have jeopardized his military career if anyone know.

This year, though, it's a different story at Annapolis. Now, with DADT repealed Atwill says the academy has changed, and that now, talking about his sexual orientation is no longer a reason to be drummed out of the military. In fact, most in the academy now come to the defense of its gay and lesbian cadets.

Andrew Atwill:  "Pretty much everybody in my company knows now, [and] they actually stand up for me." 

As it should be.

Eight months after the repeal, midshipmen both gay and straight describe a quiet but significant transformation at the Naval Academy. Gay midshipmen are seeking recognition for a student club, and, just last month, for the first time, faculty members and staff openly attended an off-campus dinner that had been organized secretly every year by and for gay midshipmen.

And this year, Andrew Atwill and his boyfriend, classmate Nick Bonsall, are going to Saturday’s Ring Dance, a formal ball held each spring for third-year midshipmen.

"It's been really great, actually," says Nick Bonsall. "Everyone has been really accepting of us."

As it should be.

The experience at Annapolis this year mirrors those across the country at the other service academies, but some future officers worry about what might happen upon graduation. While their generation might be accepting, the majority of military personnel is still made up of people of all ages and backgrounds, and some senior officers say privately that they won't come out for fear of jeopardizing their careers.

Even Andrew Atwill, while aware of this new level of understanding and tolerance, wonders what life will be like after leaving Annapolis and joining the fleet: "For me, personally, it's still a concern. When I become an officer, I'm kind of worried about whether or not my sailors will take it the wrong way if I give them a pat on the back or, you know, happen to be in the bathroom at the same time as them. I'm afraid that if they know that I'm gay, that if I was even to look at them wrong, they may end up somehow turning that against me."

But not everyone sees any problems arising. Caitlyn Bryant, a second-year midshipman, says, "In the fleet, it will be good, you don't have to worry about what they might think your orientation is. You can just focus on being a leader….People have accepted it."

As it should be.

And Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, however, doesn’t foresee a problem. He says the repeal of DADT is going very well: "It's not impacting on morale. It's not impacting on unit cohesion. It's not impacting on readiness."

As it should be.

And change is coming to all branches. Gay cadets at the U.S. Military Academy and the Coast Guard Academy are forming clubs, while gay alumni at the Air Force Academy hosted their first football tailgate last fall, and Air Force Academy and West Point gay alumni held their annual dinners on campus for the first time.

Kara Yingling, a fourth-year midshipman , who is not gay, says the majority of the student body "didn't make a big deal" of the policy change: "We have seen more openly gay people, and I think that's good for them, because they no longer have to live their lives in fear that something's going to happen just because of their sexuality."

This Memorial Day will be, if possible, more memorable, because of this new openness and honesty and acceptance.

As it should be.

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Say 'Thank You' ......