Legalize marijuana

Why is it illegal to use marijuana? Does it cause more deaths than cigarettes? Alcohol?

A Grand Valley State University student was recently shot by a cop when authorities raided his apartment after he sold undercover officers $60 worth of pot. Is that a lot of pot? Does it make him some kind of drug lord?

I admit I don't understand Michigan's new medical marijuana law, but couldn't the student have said he sold the marijuana strictly for medicinal purposes?

Couldn't America follow the example of Ann Arbor and make possession or sale of small amounts of marijuana (like $60 worth?) punishable by a small fine? That would still make it illegal, but would signal to police they need to find bigger fish to fry (or to shoot somebody over). Next, maybe we could decriminalize all drugs and make their use a health issue rather than a legal issue. 

Where have these protesters been?

On April 15, anti-tax folks appeared like mushrooms after a spring rain. Nobody likes paying taxes, but these folks seemed to be about more than just that. They complained about Barack Obama being a socialist or a communist or a fascist. Where have they been the last 8 years? The president they supported took a budget surplus from Bill Clinton and turned it into a huge deficit. He drove the economy into the deepest ditch since the Great Depression. He invaded a sovereign nation, Iraq, shedding U.S. soldiers' blood and innocent Iraqi citizens' blood and hundreds of billions of tax dollars. And for what? No weapons of mass destruction. He ignored international law, supported torture, denied prisoners' rights, wiretapped U.S. citizens. And Barack Obama is a fascist? 

Barack Obama is trying to fix the mess he inherited from the previous president. It's going to take a while to see much progress. And yes, he's going to raise taxes on the have-lots rather than on the have-nots for the same reason Willie Sutton robbed banks: because that's where the money is.

As for the tax-day protests, this was a "grass roots" effort in name only. These folks were expertly manipulated by the rich, the Republicans and a certain right-wing news channel. This wasn't a movement from the bottom up, this was a movement from the Fox down. 

We'll have a gay old time

I'm going to be performing my first gay wedding (lesbian actually) in August. I can't wait! They asked me if I'd do a commitment ceremony for them. I said: I don't know what that is. I don't do commitment ceremonies or civil unions, I do weddings. Period. I marry Adam and Eve or Adam and Steve. I join two people who vow to love each other forever in holy matrimony. That's it. They were thankful for that.

I've wanted to do a gay wedding since I was in seminary a few years ago. In fact (hee, hee, hee), in preaching class, when we had to preach a wedding sermon, I preached a gender-neutral wedding sermon. I married Chris and Pat. One of my classmates wrote on my evaluation, "Chris and Pat?" The next day I asked him what he meant. He said, "I just wanted you to know that somebody got it." LOL!

I look forward to the day when I say, "You are now married in the eyes of your families and friends and you are now married in the eyes of God. God bless your marriage. I now pronounce you Kaity and Kim. You may now kiss your beloved. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the world's newest newlyweds, Kaity and Kim!" 

 

Obviously and unfortunately, they can't get a wedding license in Michigan, but that's not going to stop me from performing their wedding. (Promise me you'll visit me in jail.)

Same-Sex Marriage

Iowa? Iowa has legalized same-sex marriage? I can only imagine people in California saying: You mean Iowa is more progressive than we are? Maybe we should re-think banning gay marriage. 

The end of homophobia is on the horizon. Justice for all God's children - straight and gay - now seems closer than ever. As a pastor who supports marriage equality I say: Hallelujah! 

Although, I just thought of something. I was married a couple months ago. My wife and I are happy now, but once gays are allowed to marry in Davenport - OMG! - that could threaten my marriage in Michigan!  (Yeah, right.)

The Bible says, "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one." And now, in Iowa at least, we can add, "And there is no longer straight and gay, for all of you are one also." Thank God!