They're saying on the air this morning that there's been silence from rand paul on this

("this" being the whole "MY Religion Trumps Your Rights" thing, in Indiana AND beyond).

Well, maybe yesterday afternoon/evening, and this morning he's silent. BUT WE KNOW WHERE HE STANDS. We already know. Just watching Rachel Maddow try to get something definitive out of him a few years ago when he danced all over her repeated questions about establishing a BASIC understanding of his stand on civil rights NOW. TODAY. In the second decade of the 21st Century. And he kept falling back on --- "oh the gummnt the gummnt the gummnt - keep the gummnt out -" "So then you think a restaurant owner should have the right to deny service to black people?" "Oh the gummnt the gummnt the gummnt..." "But DO YOU THINK businesses should have the right to deny service to black people?" "Oh the gummnt the gummnt the gummnt hate the gummnt, gummnt shouldn't have any role, no right to step in, freedom-freedom... blah-blah-blah..."

He never answered her question - WHICH IN AND OF ITSELF IS INDEED AN ANSWER TO HER QUESTION. So we know where he stands. Government should butt out of business's lives and if they don't want to serve blacks in their restaurants, that's their right, but but but - and the flaccid "well, I wouldn't eat there, but they have the right to do that if they want to but but but..." Yeah. We know, rand. We get it. And we get YOU much better and more clearly than you think. Most of us on this side are NOT snowed by you or anything you say or claim or anything about which you try to tiptoe through the tulips.

TRANSLATION: SO HE DOES think it's okay for business and anybody else to discriminate based on their religion. He DOES. He's keeping his head down in the foxhole at the moment because he doesn't deal with the shit he knows would rain down on him, and Heaven forbid more of those Rachel Maddow-style interviews, the way the shit has rained down on mike pence and started to in Arkansas with Governor Persecute-Bill-Clinton-during-the-Monica-thing. (Think we forgot that, ASSa?)

We MUSTN'T forget jeb's interference with Terri Schiavo!

We MUSTN'T EVER forget jeb's interference with that whole sad affair. We mustn't forget ANYBODY'S interference in such a personal family trauma.

The message needs to be: Your religion does NOT trump MY rights. It may certainly be important to you but it doesn't trump MY rights, or ANYBODY'S rights. Your religion does NOT give you the right to discriminate. It's NOT okay. Regardless how you want to dress it up.

This, like a woman's right to choose, is non-negotiable. It is an absolute.

So do I! GREAT post!

Frankly, this is a good point. If Jesus did indeed come into our midst to be born as one of us, and eat, drink, sleep, learn, play, work, hang out, have friends, get tired, grow up, and BE human, then it only stands to reason that He had most if not all of the experiences that His friends and neighbors had. Seems to me that was the whole point, in the first place. So why wouldn't there have been moments like this?

That's the only way we CAN do it. Sure can't pull it off as separate individuals.

I am SICK AND TIRED of women STILL being shown to the back of the bus. And to think there are people in this day and age who would actually go so far as to take our right to VOTE away. I've heard them speak about it. They've sure succeeded in taking our sovereignty over our very bodies away. It just makes me OUTRAGED!!!

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GOD I love this photo. This woman sure speaks for me! And it just burns - when I think of just HOW MANY different issues fit onto that protest sign of hers! I, Too, Cannot Believe I STILL Have To Protest This Shit!!

Aw, friend, you do not mourn alone.

Clearly she had many here who loved her, too. Some of these posts remind me of one of my favorites - Skittles, who once sent comfort to a grieving fellow DUer and reassured - "someone's always here."

Don't feel reluctant to post about this whenever you need to. Your notes about her are so incredibly beautiful.
"For the longest time, it felt like my heart had a chunk ripped out of it, a piece that Ginny took with her to the grave. Then I realized that on those days when I miss her the most, I can feel her deep in my chest. She left a little piece of her heart inside me to replace the part of me that she took with her."
I copied it so I'd always be able to find it. Very loving testament to her, your sharing these thoughts.

Extra hugs for you too, Alkene.

It takes as long as it takes. My best friend lost her husband 20 years ago. The hurt is still there today.

This looks line one damn fine day!

Cherish those happy times, and all those smiles. Thank you for sharing these photos - what a WUNNNNNNNNNNderful memory! My condolences.

Little cutie-pie!

I hate to say this but ... get ready to give her away.

It seems like yesterday that our little girl arrived. And she's suddenly all grown up and got a ring on it. MAN I'm gonna cry that day! I'm such a sap!

She's a work of art, stevenleser! Congrats! Thanks for sharing this with us!

I just signed it too.

This:

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It would seem the republi-CONS ARE the party of rape.