#5.5 "Black Sabbath, Bitches."

"Australians all let us rejoice, for we are young and free"*

*(free to marry anyone we want, anyone at all. Unless you're both gay, of course.)

(When I use the word Gay, I mean Gay/Lesbian. Because I think that usage of the word 'lesbian' is sexist. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I have the keyboard and a strong opinion.) 

"We've golden soil, and wealth for..." uh, whatever the words are. Sorry, I'm still caught up on the obvious lie in that first line.

In Tasmania at the moment, there is discussion about the legalisation of Same-Sex Marriages.

This raises 2 questions:

1) Isn't this already a thing? What the F*CK year IS this?

2) So, let me get this straight: You can't tell someone you won't hire them because they're gay, but you can tell someone you won't allow them to be married because they're gay? So how is that not the exact same type of discrimination, exactly?

Now, here's another question: What's worse than someone not listening when someone else is talking?

We voted for people like this, and we feed their kids.

Yay us, I guess.

Same-Sex Marriage will not destroy Traditional marriage. How can it? It's based on it. You may be thinking of Zombies, perhaps. They would do that. Or maybe Vampires. You DO know that gays are just other people - nothing more and nothing less, right? Not monsters? Not aliens? Not 'okay to be told who to marry and who not to'? Because 'discrimination'?

Not pictured above: Gays.

And even if you're the type of person who believes that people are gay by choice: Why deny people the life that they want, solely on grounds of tradition? Who is anyone to tell anyone else how to live, beyond matters of safety?

This vote - this entire issue - is only being presented to us as Same-Sex Marriage. It's all of that and a bag of spuds, sure - but it's so, so, SO much more.

This is about one part of the government saying "We need to represent the people, because that's our job.", who are fighting the other part of the government, who are saying "Whatever. We still get paid. Also, The Bible."

Not pictured above: A gay dude.

Shouldn't all taxpayers have the same rights, whether they're into chicks or dicks?

(My thanks to Brady for that charming phrase)

Police don't get to make laws, willy-nilly. I'm inclined to say that the laws would make a lot more sense, and be a lot more practical if they could.

The Police are only there to do one job - enforce the policies which were created by people who wear suits and have no idea what our lives are actually like. People who make these policies are called Politicians. Unsurprisingly.

It's like there's some type of correlation between the words 'Police' and 'Policy' and 'Politician' somewhere. Quick, someone call Michael Moore! There's, like, a conspiracy and stuff or not or whatever.

"Hmmm - the only mystery I can see is the fact that you think that's interesting, Paddy.
Also, why haven't you used a picture of a Vampire, yet? Oh, right - of course. "

It is up to the Government to make HUMANE policies, so that the poor old Police aren't in the unenviable position of enforcing INHUMANE policies. Because they will, if they need to.

For instance, Cannabis - which has never killed anyone - is still illegal, while Alcohol and Cigarettes - which both actually kill people with alarming regularity - are completely legal.

And this makes sense HOW, exactly? SERIOUSLY?

And the cops enforce this anti-social law, because that's their job. Because they love their families and don't want them to starve. The cops are just as bound by the law as the rest of us, if not more so. But I get to sit back and comment on it - they're the ones who risk their safety for the order that I so hate because it cramps the living daylights out of my style and busts up my groove to such a highly tuned degree as to make me think that the world is a giant mousetrap designed to break me for THE MATRIX or some shit like that.

NO! You can't make me! You're not my real mother!
Mmmm.... Steak. Yummy.
What was I saying?

WELL, IT DOES.

I don't see many politicians risking their career for the same idea of order, let alone their lives. If cops are like soldiers (and they are, bless 'em), then many politicians are like war pigs ("Why don't they go out to fight? They leave that up to the poor.").

The reason that this Same-Sex Marriage issue matters so much is because it could clear the path for policies that create understanding and compassion, and actual social cohesion - instead of the usual financially and/or religiously inspired fear.

It matters because they're listening to us - the PEOPLE - and actually doing their JOB (some of them at least), instead of getting all their info from a 2,000 year old handbook written for a male-oriented Middle-Eastern Farming/Fishing community, which was allegedly ghost-written by an invisible magical sky wizard who looks like Kenny Rogers.

"Lo, and verily - upon the seventh day did the gambler he break even."

Or some bribery. ALWAYS with the bribery. Oh, sorry - I meant 'Lobbying'. Because that's sooo totally different from bribing. It's, like, spelt and pronounced completely differently and everything. Totally different. Not even remotely like legal bribery or anything.

It matters because it shows us that not all politicians are in it for themselves - or that if they are, that they will still stick their neck out for our beliefs. Or that some of them are even still human. Even if you don't agree with their actions, you MUST respect their courage. They're showing us that not all politicians are war pigs. That matters. Because it gives us faith in the system - the one that Kafka described so well.

(Just for the record, when I say 'us' there, I mean 'you' - I'm having trouble seeing any good in the system that isn't immediately shat upon by something else in the system. But that's my issue.)

But ring-a-ding-ding, here's the thing:

Do you know why the government always give us shitty laws and rules, that don't actually represent our needs or desires? Because we let them.

No, I'm not talking about a riot. Are you insane? Good God, man/woman! This isn't the '70s anymore!

You can tell it's not the '70s, because all the music sucks ass now.

Niki Minaj: Role model for young children, possible candidate for new Bob Jane T-Mart ad campaign.

This Same-Sex Marriage vote matters, because we have had a say in 'HOW HIGH' they expect us to jump. In what they will consider 'HUMANE'. In how mature we are, as a society. But we have to tell them, because they're NOT mind readers.

So: "What's worse than someone not listening when someone else is talking?"

Someone not talking when someone else is listening.

I just wrote a damn blog and shared the f*ck out of it - what have you done to make your voice heard lately?

(Liam 'Paddy' Padmore is as straight as f*ck, but many of his favourite people aren't.)