I find it perplexing when I read about city and community leaders negative comments and disdain for "residential rental property". On one hand, there seems to be too much in certain neighborhoods and the solution is to turn poor tenants into struggling owners. On the other hand, luxury apts, lofts, artists studios, etc are seen as the key to attracting the "Right" kind of renters to populate the Court of the Covington Renaissance. In either case, it seems to me that the real key is to lower turn-over by improving quality of life.

Cinci Mayor Calls For Repeal

Of Nation's Most Repressive Anti-Gay Law
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

(Cincinnati, Ohio) Cincinnati mayor Charlie Luken Monday called for the repeal of a city charter amendment that forbids the enactment or enforcement of any laws to provide protections for gays and lesbians. No other U.S. city has such provision in its charter amendment in place.

Luken, in his annual "State of the City" speech, this morning urged voters to undo the amendment they approved 11 years ago

"Times and attitudes have changed, and that Cincinnati should rescind the amendment in the interests of showing tolerance and supporting diversity," Luken said.

The amendment was put forward in 1993 by "Equal Rights, Not Special Rights" a conservative action group that successfully convinced voters to back it in a referendum, overturning hard won gay rights protections under the city's human-rights ordinance.

Gay civil rights groups challenged the results of the referendum and U.S. District Judge S. Arthur Spiegel overturned it on constitutional grounds.  In his ruling, Spiegel said that that gays and lesbians as a class deserve protected status similar to that afforded on the  basis of gender and race.

The Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, however, overturned Judge Spiegel, saying that the referendum had been a proper exercise in local control.

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to intervene in the case.

Following Luken's speech today, Phil Burress the chair of Citizens for Community Values in Cincinnati, the conservative group that grew out of "Equal Rights, Not Special Rights", vowed fight any effort to repeal the amendment. Burress said he believes that any vote on the amendment would keep it intact, rather than repeal it.

Burress' group is also a leader of the national effort to stop same-sex marriage.

An Urbane Covington Neighborhood nestled on the West Side of the inner city!

The Real World of The SoBnkHIVe...

Scott Boulevard (Rt. 17-So.) Island Neighborhood Garden  "Photo Copyright '99": Michael W. Connett "LIVING Trust"

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived..."     Henry David Thoreau.

"In this season of Advent my thoughts always turn to the people that for one reason or another will not be as fortunate as I.  Our family is loving and close and I thank God every day for my situation.  We all know someone that has had a loved one die and for most people it is a time of fond memories and some regret that the loved one will not be spending the holidays with them.

One of my closest friends will be spending his holiday very much like that.  His sister died at 36 leaving a young son, a husband, and a large loving family.  Her family will be spending their first Christmas without her.  They would give all they have to spend one more year with the woman they loved so much.  She had a wonderful and happy life until she became sick.  The last two years for Susan and her family and friends were difficult.  She had some very rough days.  With the help of her God, family, friends, church and the support groups that were associated with her disease, she made it through in relative comfort until God took her Home this past summer.

On the other hand, I know a Christian family that will be spending a holiday season as they have spent many other seasons - bitter and miserable.  I have known this family for twenty years and they have spent most of that time being nasty and hateful to each other.  Another of my closest friends is a member of that family and I have watched the torment that he has endured.  He will go to the holiday festivities this year but not really be welcomed.  He is sick with the same terminal illness, but unlike Susan he does not have a compassionate family that loves him unconditionally.  The church in which he was nurtured as a young person has made it clear that their compassion and love is conditional.  Michael has relied on others for support.  How sad to see a situation such as this.  The church has lost a prime opportunity to nurture people in the faith and show them Gods nature, and NOT Human Nature.  I can't help but think that if Michael had been nurtured in the church with his family, his life would be different, and his family could love him the way God made him.

Both families have been touched by the same devastating and debilitating disease---AIDS.  The families and churches have handled it very differently.  The prejudice which has torn Michael's family in two has been based on his sexual orientation and not his soul or heart.  Michael is just as valuable to God as Susan was but the people to which God entrusted their lives have treated them very differently.

Some of you are probably asking the question, 'How did she get it?'.  To me the method of transmission is immaterial.  No one deserves to 'get it' and no one should be considered more 'innocent' than another.  None of us are 'innocent' spiritually speaking, but thinking so is the basis for the current negative attitude toward the disease and its victims.

Public opinion has swayed even Christians toward cruelty to victims of a disease that I have even heard some say is 'God's punishment'.  Jesus did not make his decision of care based on how a person got sick.  I feel that it is time that we as Christians look past the sexual sin and extend a helping hand.  That is what God calls us to do.

Jesus spent a large part of his time, if not most of it, working with the people that were considered to be the outcasts of society.  He did not spend most of his time in the 'suburbs' of his day or even with 'the good church people' (who, by the way, were his murderers).  He spent his time in leper colonies and working with the sick and dying.  He spent his time extending healing and grace to those who were sick and sinful.  'It is the sick who need the doctor,' he said.

If compassion and grace were given out on the basis of moral purity we would all be in trouble.  The issue is not the sexual sin.  The real issue is that when people - any people - are sick our faith calls uss to be compassionate and thoughtful.

(Thursday) December 1st is World AIDS Day and is sponsored by the World Health Organization.  Churches around the world are participating.  Locally we can be involved in several ways.

A Neighborhood Watch Neighborhood: "If you are Bothered by disturbances (including 'domestic' ones), Witness Crimes, or see suspicious Activity in your Neighborhood;  REMEMBER to CALL The Police First: (911 Emergency/292-2222 Dispatch/Non-Emergency) and then your Block Captain! Please take the time to call The   Covington Neighborhood Watch Hotline @ 491-6726 to find out who your Block Captain is so you can report it.

Page last Revised/Up-dated: Thursday, April 1, 2010 5:07 PM  

Copyright©:

The Michael W. Connett Living Trust