wellstone dem
wellstone dem's JournalA friend of mine saw someone using food stamps to pay for ice cream bars.
She was in line behind the woman in the grocery store. As she stood there waiting her turn, the two women behind my friend said in a very loud voice, "Must be nice to have food stamps to pay for ice cream bars." As my friend tried to think what to say, the woman ahead of her turned and said, "Yes, it is wonderful to have food stamps to pay for ice cream bars. And tonight when your kids get to go to the football game, you think about my kids, we can't afford to go to the football game. And tomorrow, on Saturday, when your kids get to go to the movies, my kids will be at the park, because we can't afford to go to the movies. And on Sunday, when you go to brunch, or for a ride in the country, or shopping, think of my kids, because that's the day we will be eating the ice cream bars. All weekend I will be saying to them, 'On Sunday we get ice cream bars.' Yes, I certainly am lucky to be able to buy ice cream bars with my food stamps."
I just wanted to edit this to make it clear that this was "food stamps" it was about 10 years ago or so, before the EBT cards. Though I agree with the posters below that I can still sometimes tell when people use EBT cards for the food stamp program because they need to use two forms of payment.
General Mills opposes marriage amendment
Source: Minneapolis Tribune
“We do not believe the proposed constitutional amendment is in the best interests of our employees or our state economy – and as a Minnesota-based company we oppose it,” Ken Charles, vice president of global diversity and inclusion for General Mills, wrote in a letter to employees and the public. “We value diversity. We value inclusion. We always have … and we always will.”
Charles said company CEO Ken Powell addressed 400 local gay and lesbian professionals Wednesday and announced the company would oppose the amendment, which will be on the November ballot.
“While General Mills doesn’t normally take positions on ballot measures, this is a business issue that impacts our employees,” Charles said. “I am proud to see our company join the ranks of local and national employers speaking out for inclusion.”
“Obviously, there are strongly held views on both sides. We acknowledge those views, including those on religious grounds,” he said. “We respect and defend the right of others to disagree. But we truly value diversity and inclusion – and that makes our choice clear.”
Read more: http://www.startribune.com/politics/blogs/159057195.html
NOM sent out a letter asking the 50 largest Minnesota Companies to remain neutral. Apparently, that request is not working.
General Mills opposes anti-gay marriage amendment! Yay Cereal!
Fortune 500 Company General Mills has just announced that the Golden Valley, MN corporation opposes the constitutional amendment seeking to limit the freedom to marry for committed same-sex couples in Minnesota.
http://action.mnunited.org/p/salsa/web/common/public/signup?signup_page_KEY=6793
What a little business in Central Minnesota put on its website and on facebook today! (It's good!)
http://www.muggsysbeans.com/"Apparently, the National Organization for Marriage is asking businesses to "stay neutral" in regards to the MN Marriage Amendment. So let us go on record here, in full defiance of the hateful people involved in NOM, that Muggsy's Beans fully supports gay marriage and looks forward to defeating this horrible piece of legislation."
I'm headed over there to buy some coffee!
I am proud to be able to call the author of this facebook post my nephew and my godson
"To all of my LGBT family, friends, and colleagues,
I am ashamed of how my Church is treating you. I am ashamed of how the Pope has condemned you, and I am ashamed of how the bishops have fought the efforts to give you the respect in you deserve in our society. But most of all, I am ashamed of my fellow ...Catholics who will not speak out to protect you.
I considered myself a Catholic because I believe in the eternal and unfathomable love of God, Jesus’s teachings of peace and acceptance, and the commitment to compassion and service. I grew up in a small Benedictine community where we focused on these values of acceptance, service, and compassion. I went to a Catholic high school where openly LGBT students were protected and affirmed. I was proud of the respect that community had for you.
Now the larger Church’s teachings have become filled with hatred and the bishops pour money into political games designed to discriminate against you. The bishops oppose any recognition of your human dignity. They tell lies about what it means to be LGBT and cite false studies calculated to hurt you. Worst of all, they ignore Christ’s commandment to love and serve you.
I will never have to suffer the hatred and violence you have faced. I will never feel the judgment and personal attacks to which you have been subjected your whole lives. But as the Catholic Church turns its back on you and raises its fists, know that I feel abandoned and attacked with you. Know also that there are many Catholics, ages 9 to 90, who are speaking out against the Church’s actions and who support you for who you are.
I trust that our society is changing for the better despite the actions of the Church and that you will be given the respect and security which you deserve. I trust that in 50 years, we will look back on our society's treatment of LGBT people with shame and disbelief. I believe that in 50 years it will get better. But in 50 years, I will not forget what the Catholic Church has done to you now.
I will continue to work for peace and justice. I will continue believe in God’s love and Christ’s compassion. I will continue to pray to the saints. And at some point, I may return to a parish that teaches love and not dogma. But this I will not do: I will not recognize the authority of the Pope and the Bishops any longer. I will not give another penny to the Catholic Church. And, above all, I will not sit in silence as the Church voices hatred."
My nephew, same sex marriage, and the Catholic Church
My nephew (and Godson) posted the following on his facebook page yesterday. I can't think of when he has made me more proud.
"To all of my LGBT family, friends, and colleagues,
I am ashamed of how my Church is treating you. I am ashamed of how the Pope has condemned you, and I am ashamed of how the bishops have fought the efforts to give you the respect in you deserve in our society. But most of all, I am ashamed of my fellow ...Catholics who will not speak out to protect you.
I considered myself a Catholic because I believe in the eternal and unfathomable love of God, Jesus’s teachings of peace and acceptance, and the commitment to compassion and service. I grew up in a small Benedictine community where we focused on these values of acceptance, service, and compassion. I went to a Catholic high school where openly LGBT students were protected and affirmed. I was proud of the respect that community had for you.
Now the larger Church’s teachings have become filled with hatred and the bishops pour money into political games designed to discriminate against you. The bishops oppose any recognition of your human dignity. They tell lies about what it means to be LGBT and cite false studies calculated to hurt you. Worst of all, they ignore Christ’s commandment to love and serve you.
I will never have to suffer the hatred and violence you have faced. I will never feel the judgment and personal attacks to which you have been subjected your whole lives. But as the Catholic Church turns its back on you and raises its fists, know that I feel abandoned and attacked with you. Know also that there are many Catholics, ages 9 to 90, who are speaking out against the Church’s actions and who support you for who you are.
I trust that our society is changing for the better despite the actions of the Church and that you will be given the respect and security which you deserve. I trust that in 50 years, we will look back on our society's treatment of LGBT people with shame and disbelief. I believe that in 50 years it will get better. But in 50 years, I will not forget what the Catholic Church has done to you now.
I will continue to work for peace and justice. I will continue believe in God’s love and Christ’s compassion. I will continue to pray to the saints. And at some point, I may return to a parish that teaches love and not dogma. But this I will not do: I will not recognize the authority of the Pope and the Bishops any longer. I will not give another penny to the Catholic Church. And, above all, I will not sit in silence as the Church voices hatred."
Occupy vs. Little Falls
"Robin Hensel says it’s only fair that since the city of Little Falls ordered her to take down signs in her yard supporting the Occupy Wall Street and peace movements, the city should have to remove its “We Support Our Troops” banner from a downtown bank.
She says the issue is not what her signs or the banner say — it’s about the Central Minnesota city following its own ordinance. She says her freedom of free speech has been violated, and that she has received death threats over the Internet on the issue.
Hensel said that she was barred from keeping the signs in her yard because they violated a city signage ordinance. She said the banner on the American National Bank building also violates it. She said the banner should have a permit, but it doesn’t, and it’s bigger than allowed by the ordinance."
http://www.sctimes.com/article/20120208/NEWS01/102080033/Dispute-over-signs-roils-residents-Little-Falls?odyssey=tab
Occupy vs. Small Town Minnesota
[div class="Robin Hensel says it’s only fair that since the city of Little Falls ordered her to take down signs in her yard supporting the Occupy Wall Street and peace movements, the city should have to remove its “We Support Our Troops” banner from a downtown bank.
She says the issue is not what her signs or the banner say — it’s about the Central Minnesota city following its own ordinance. She says her freedom of free speech has been violated, and that she has received death threats over the Internet on the issue.
Hensel said that she was barred from keeping the signs in her yard because they violated a city signage ordinance. She said the banner on the American National Bank building also violates it. She said the banner should have a permit, but it doesn’t, and it’s bigger than allowed by the ordinance."]
[link:http://www.sctimes.com/article/20120208/NEWS01/102080033/Dispute-over-signs-roils-residents-Little-Falls?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Umbrella|
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