"proud to be an American"

[Boozy]

So how do performers like Madonna or whoever manage to find homes in places like the UK? It's not like she doesn't have a skill that people there don't already posess lol. I am confused about that.

There's a difference between living somewhere and getting a work permit or visa.

Canadians, for example, are able to own property in the US and live there with relatively few restrictions. They just can't work without a visa.

However, I suspect entertainers such as Madonna do have work permits of some sort, because their record/movie studios would provide them with one. Most major studios have offices in both the UK and the US.

[elsporko]

You can put that one solely on that idiot in the White House. Tell me again why failing companies should have been propped up with taxpayer funds?

Because when thousands of people go on wellfare at the same time because their huge company, went out of business it costs the government alot of money.

Is it the fact that 35 million people have no health care?
Is it the fact that we score near the bottom of all industrialized nations for education?
Is it the fact that we have a 12 trillion dollar debt?
That our domestic air fleet uses some of the oldest planes in service?
That our road (and transit systems) are old and falling apart, over their capacity, and no one has the political will to say it's going to cost money to fix it?

So you want to make alot of expsive changes and upgrades, but not have alot of debt. Let me know where the money tree is because I would like some before the government gets to it.

[Nyoibo]

How does that work? Is it really that difficult to immigrate to England? I'm ignorant on this subject sorry....

Most western countries, unless imigration is for asylum or similar, you have to have qualifications of some description that will benefit the country you're imigrating to, from memory.

The fact that there are gays in the military, that more than likely they've been deployed, and that there is also a fair cahnce some died. The military doesn't keep track of statistics like that for obvious reasons.

I'm saying that, while smileyeagle sees his country in such a bad light, there are others in the same boat who, instead of spouting hate and blame towards those that hate them, prove them wrong by serving honorably.

Most likely they have, in complete secrecy because otherwise they'd have been discharged, and those that died never had their partners notified, because officially gays don't exist in the military, so basically their sacrifice had no significance outside of that of and soldiers sacrifice, it showed no one that gays are just as good because they weren't gay to anyone.

The Joint Chiefs have even announced an ending to DADT in the military, and I don't see it being a long time before anti-discrimination laws for homosexuals is passed.

I seem to remember reading recently that the decision to end DADT still has to be ratified by the senate or something and that that's not going to happen for a long time.

So how do performers like Madonna or whoever manage to find homes in places like the UK? It's not like she doesn't have a skill that people there don't already posess lol. I am confused about that.

More than likely they have visas rather than citizenship, there's a special visa for actors, singers and other entertainers that's pretty leniant.

[Hobbs]

Technically, the Senate doesn't have to pass anything for DADT. The President, not Congress, is Commander-in-Chief. If I were him, I'd just pass an executive order.

[the_std]

Hobbs, still wondering what God has to do with your quote. There was nothing in there mentioning God in the least.

[Hobbs]

Hobbs, still wondering what God has to do with your quote. There was nothing in there mentioning God in the least.

It's the CoC.

[smileyeagle1021]

... You're blaming smiley for not wanting to take the abuse set out by those same countrymen that he'd be "abandoning"? Not everyone is strong, not everyone can make waves or change the world. That doesn't make them bad people.

That and I live in the Bible belt... my representatives will NOT listen to me, hell, I'm surprised they haven't put a restraining order against me... after all, I'm the faggot who insists on contacting them PLEADING for them to stop their bigoted practices.
The only places left in this country where advocacy groups will do a damned thing is in the liberal, already week Christian, areas where it's barely needed anymore.
And to be blunt, yes, Hobbs, I do want to leave the country... you would too if you knew that any day could be your last because your government refuses to prosecute hate crimes. At least in Canada, I know if I were to be murdered, my crime would be investigated and, providing the evidence can be found, my killer punished. The US routinely fails to investigate these crimes and when they do investigate it's likely that they'll be ineffectively prosecuted (at least in this part of the country).
We are so hating of fags in this country that places in the south would rather cancel an entire school district's senior prom to prevent two lesbians from going.
The United States is a lost cause within my lifetime and any lifetime as long as the Bible is the standard.
ANd yes, I am a bigot against Christians, I will freely admit it, but at least I have reason... God hates me so I hate God.

[the_std]

It's the CoC.

The Code of Conduct which I am interpreting as a military code, not a biblical code, which does not include the word God, does not make any mention of religion at all... Throw me a bone here and explain what you're talking about rather than repeating yourself when it makes no sense?

[AdminAssistant]

That and I live in the Bible belt...

Nitpick:

The Bible Belt runs across the Southern US - Virginia, the Carolinas, Tennesee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Texas, etc. Not saying that Utah isn't full of crazy fundamentalists, but it's not the Bible belt.

/nitpick

[elsporko]

ANd yes, I am a bigot against Christians, I will freely admit it, but at least I have reason... God hates me so I hate God.

I fail to see how hating an entire group for no good reason because members of that group hate you is in any way productive. If anything it helps them justify their actions.

[Rapscallion]

I fail to see how hating an entire group for no good reason because members of that group hate you is in any way productive. If anything it helps them justify their actions.

I get the feeling that you don't want to see.

His bigotry is freely admitted and as a result of their unadmitted bigotry. His issues are caused by theirs. Him not being offended and on the defensive due to shitty treatment is not going to stop their bigotry. If he turns the other cheek, it's going to be slapped as well.

Rapscallion

[KnitShoni]

I fail to see how hating an entire group for no good reason because members of that group hate you is in any way productive. If anything it helps them justify their actions.

No good reason? Really? Many Christians, who, according to the Bible, aren't supposed to hate anyone, hate him because they don't like how he was born. I'm thinking he'd probably be a bit less likely to hate them if they'd pull their heads out of their asses and realize he has shit to do, like live his life with the person he loves.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Well, at least you can be patriotic in America; in England, there's a core group of idiots who think that anyone who says, "I'm proud to be English" is being racist. -.-

Yes, I said "English". I'm not Welsh, Scottish or Irish so please don't lump me in with them by calling me "British". They also do not like being lumped in with us English.

[protege]

Who says that smiley doesn't try to bring about change? Even though he rants here, he might be involved with rights groups.

I hope he is working with rights groups...and going out and voting for change. I hate to say it, but if you don't vote...you have *no* right to bitch about things. That is, if you don't like what your reps are doing, then you vote for someone who will. For example, ex-state rep Rick Santorum made some remarks about how gays were to blame for the church sex scandal in Boston a few years ago. Needless to say, quite a few people found his remarks embarrassing...and threw his ass out of office.

[elsporko]

No good reason? Really? Many Christians, who, according to the Bible, aren't supposed to hate anyone, hate him because they don't like how he was born. I'm thinking he'd probably be a bit less likely to hate them if they'd pull their heads out of their asses and realize he has shit to do, like live his life with the person he loves.

So hating all gays is bad, but hating all Christians (many of whom don't hate gays or may even be gay themselves) is okay, you know, because some of those Christians hate gays.


Would it be okay if instead of gays and Christians it was whites and blacks? After all, some blacks hate whites right? That means as a white person I should hate all blacks.