The only times God has spoken directly to me were to tell me I was being stupid.

A grumpy old person because I’m too exhausted to plan a costume, and I don’t know how to have fun.

The point of mask mandates is short term. They are meant to slow the spread, not stop it.

He’s clearly guilty of discharging, but it may not be found malicious, given the other verdicts.

A woman singing about marrying a woman in a country song wasn’t a clue for you?

Apparently more than you do.

Next time, try “what difference does it make?” or if you don’t want to be confrontational, “It’s medically necessary.”

You shouldn’t have to feel anxious just for getting a meal.

Then you don’t know much about religion.

And nothing heinous has ever been done without religion?

The faithful give over three times as much in charitable donations as the secular, and volunteer three to four times as often.

Plus, the religious have been persecuted for their beliefs as long as there had been human history, which is what you are proposing by suggesting that religion should be eliminated.

This is a great stance to take until the government forces you to regularly go through a life-threatening procedure to harvest your bone marrow so another person might live.

Even if it’s life, no life is allowed to commandeer another person’s body to survive. Period.

That’s not religion. That’s abusers using religion to control people. Which unfortunately the most vocal make sound like that’s all religion.

I am fairly faithful, though more liberal than many in my faith. My kids have come out to me maybe a dozen times in total, and have been disappointed every time because I didn’t go crazy on them. Most religious people don’t hate LGBTQ, even if they also don’t agree with some of it. Most religious parents love their children AND their faith, and are willing to let their kids make their own choices.

Don’t let a vocal few and their media response cause you to try to squish your parents into a box. They can love you and not love your choices, but also support you making them. Not everything is black and white. If you have kids, some day your kids will subscribe to ideologies you don’t like, too. It’s part of parenting. Parents are allowed to be disappointed when their kids reject the things they love.

Just stay true to what you feel is right, try to love your imperfect parents, give it a few years and everything will look much different one way or the other.

Just this week, I sat across from a male psychologist while he asked me if I’d reported abuse my daughter went through at the hands of her dad.

No, I didn’t.

First, she didn’t say anything until years later, when she no longer had to see him.

Second, the second time I did report something, I was told to stop causing trouble between me and my ex spouse, or I’d lose custody of the kids. I was terrified of being able to protect them even less.

Third, each time I reported cost me thousands of dollars I didn’t have because he retaliated through the courts.

So no, I haven’t reported anything since then. And yes, I’m ashamed. But shame or not, I don’t know what I could have done differently.

The courts truss women like pigs and roast them on a spit for even hinting at trying to protect their kids, then skewer them again when they don’t.

Two thoughts: this is mind-blowing AND there’s no possible way this could go wrong, right? Right?!?

I would go back to the day of my wedding and tell myself to trust my gut, that it wasn’t just cold feet. That the embarrassment and financial loss of calling it off was nothing compared to what I lost that day without even realizing it.

I would lose my kids, but maybe I’d still be myself and they would be somewhere with a mother who isn’t a mother-shaped empty shell.

Weren’t they saying this back in the 90s?

I was going to respond, but you said it so much better than I could have.

The tension between liability and control is real.

Yum! I wish it weren’t so hot so I could bake again.

I agree with school, just disagree with local community voting. They don’t own or rent homes, and therefore have near-zero consequence for the outcome.