same sex marriage, almost.

Good evening Julia. I would like to quickly preface this by saying I appreciate you have no time to sift through enquiries of this nature right now. I merely hope that this someday gets to your attention and that on a human level you are able to read with an open mind. It would affirm my original respect for you as a person and a prime minister, while also galvanizing my support for politics in general.

I support you, almost. Your speech carried me today, almost. You say you want to move australia forward... but it's 'almost' at best. Why? Because people in same-sex relationships in this country ...have similar rights to their heterosexual counterparts... almost. I am articulating this point as myself: a twenty two year old male who is a free thinking conservative that cares about personal human rights struggles. Please listen because this is not just a same-sex seeking struggle, I believe it is a fundamental human rights issue that needs to be resolved sooner rather than later.

I must impart in the most passionate way I can over text, that I feel each and every single day we discriminate there is irrevocable damage being done. Damage that is direct.


1) Damage to children who have same-sex parents, they grow up in a household that is fundamentally disabled from accessing basic human rights protections as their friends, and neighbors.

2) Damage to teenagers and younger adults who are gay or lesbian and are struggling to deal with the sheer fact that who they are puts them at odds with societies most fundamental ideals and expectations for normalcy, responsibility and family. I have had two friends commit suicide for this very reason and hence my incredibly staunch opinions on this highly sensitive topic.

3) Damage to the safety of any citizen who is perceived as a homosexual by a bigoted other. Hate crimes due to sexuality are common and only fueled by the very basic illegality of the relationships. Banning same-sex marriage on a legal level while the church brands gay people as intrinsically evil and the most dangerous and insidious threat to society does nothing to make more heterosexual couples live stably and have more children. It only serves to harm and disable an entire section of society for the vague end goal of "preserving tradition," much like when Mildred Loving fought against reasons for banning inter-racial marriage in Loving V Virginia 1967 (united states supreme court ruling banning inter-racial marriage bans countrywide).

As of 17th July 2010, Argentina became the tenth country in the world since 2001 to legalize same-sex marriage. So far, that means one country has been allowing for their GLBT citizens the same liberties and freedoms each eleven months. Five years ago, only two countries had allowed same-sex marriage which only points to one thing: an avalanche of countries affirming liberty across the entire sexual orientation paradigm, which leads me to my next point. The negative consequences of banning full marriage rights to all people.

1) Australia will be seen as a country going backwards, living in the past, and stuck in a rut of permanence to elderly ideals (which used to force gender and race into submission until world perceptions against persecution for these were smashed to pieces) in recent history.

2) Your entire speech about moving 'forward' as a nation 'together' will become yet another mouthpiece with no intended real meaning for so many people who are GLBT, who know people who are GLBT or who like me, know people who are GLBT and have strong opinions about currently global human rights endeavors.

3) The economy will suffer. Analysts have long predicted that once allowing same-sex marriage, some tens of thousands of gay and lesbian people will boost the economy through weddings, parties, cakes, clothes, you name it. There are some gay couples who have been together up to seventy years, hoping that one day they would be exacted the privilege of being allowed to spend their money and love on each other in a way that affirms the dignity, permanence, honor, community and responsibility of their commitment to eachother as two human people. 

Finally, i'd just like to retrospectively argue some of the reasons you may or may not be opposed to same sex marriage.

Q the tradition family unit is precious and should not be altered drastically, yet (or ever)

A denying two people who inherently and passionately love the same sex will not inspire two people who are inherently and passionately in love with the opposite sex, to live more stable and happy lives.

Q civil unions and domestic partnerships are the right way forward for everybody

A having separate schools and water fountains for black and white people were seen as a 'right way forward' in the fifties when lawyers argued that separate-but-equal clauses were okay. If a gay man enters a marriage registry with some random female off the street and also his male partner of twenty five years, he is only allowed the option of marrying one of those two people based on gender. This is not only sexual orientation abuse but also sex discrimination in its purest form. In 1967 lawyers against the loving v virginia case argued that because black people could marry black people and white people could marry white people that there was simply no real harm done because looking at it plainly neither group were disadvantaged by virtue of their color. It was by virtue of the color of the other person and it's that stance which was defeated with a resounding roar by the supreme court, over fifty years ago now. If i were to want to marry another man, but only had the choice to pick any woman of my liking, that would infringe on a persons right to select the sex they were born to love.

Q churches and religions will be weakened

A there are deliberate and specific ways of being able to legislate for same sex rights while also protecting the church from being forced to change their views and beliefs, practices and traditions within their own walls. Australia is not a one-religion-fits-all country and the reasonable man/woman would agree legislation should not be only based on the transitory moral disapproval of one particular faithful set of the entire population. To do so would be to enforce morals on people who have opted out of living within those confines, and is also a breach on the fundamental human right of religion (as in, being able to choose not to live under it too).

Q it could confuse or upset children

A many children are being and have been raised in homosexual relationships. It's been happening and cannot be ignored. Unless a worldwide mandate to remove all kids from same-sex households passes, then we are actually confusing and upsetting those very children who deserve the basic liberty of being able to know and understand that their parents are in the same relationships as their neighbors and friends. But if that was not enough: it is also imperative those kids parents have the same legal protections for when if worst comes to worst, or emergencies form. To limit marriage rights to the "special" children who have heterosexuals as parents is to unreasonably harm those children who lives in households that the government has decided to keep "less than" only because there is a word called tradition and, tradition is seen as "good".

Of course there are so many more arguments for or against but I will for now end this letter and say I am quite outspoken yes, but I have been thinking hard about the invidious discrimination which permeates our world. It makes me sad. It makes me mad. It makes me wonder how much human people really can empathize and sympathize with each other when a politician like you promises change on one hand, but the 'more of the same thing' on the other.

I would really implore you to reconsider why your government is so adamant that civil unions and partnerships are the only way to move forward. I really would like to see something soon. It would inspire so much hope in so many lives, and touch those who until not long ago society shunned as mental, and worthy of lynching and death purely because they were born in a fashion which led to them becoming homosexual.

Thank you for listening. You are welcome to respond to me at any moment in time. I can be contacted on 0415 xxxxxx. I am also on twitter, http://twitter.com/morganjterrill(i follow you there), and of course my address details have been attached.

Good luck in the election.

Yours faithfully,
Morgan Terrill

NZ: Minimum wage

I feel sorry for people who are perpetually stuck in a system that disfavors them. Just because I figured out a way to make money without being employed by somebody else does not automatically make me believe everybody can. You have to be creative, not all humans are born to think laterally. Not every single person has the gumption, intellect or opportunity to evolve in the workforce. We need to at least make their lives bearable or should I say, take steps in minimizing how unbearable our employers can and do make their lives.

I've worked for New World, Woolworths, Hallensteins, Cotton On, Kiwibank, Telstraclear, and Cherry tree. Out of that list of employers I can pick out the ones who treated their workers with respect. They also happen to be the ones who make the most profit, and score consistently in customer service surveys.

Those three are woolworths because they pay well above minimum wage and used to offer all staff four weeks paid leave when the law said three hallensteins because the staff there are put under pressure but immensely rewarded for their efforts and finally kiwibank. I worked in the Kiwibank call center for one year and as well as having a very reasonable renumeration package the company being quite 'new' was excellent at keeping me informed at all times, providing me with disrection to carry out my job, and rewarding me with both money and non monetary incentives when I showed a strong will to carry on their mission (completed my KPI's).

Those other employers, well. I won't comment on for obvious legal reasons. But I will say there are one or two in there who treat their staff appallingly and I guess it might be good for them in the short term to pay shit wages and things like that but i've made a conscious decision not to do business with them from now on. I also try to deter people I know from doing so as well (through my own opinion) and word of mouth spreads.

If you want your business to do well, treat your staff well and it will show because they will tell their friends, family and anybody else they come into contact with how happy they are and how engaged and involved they are in the business they work for. Treat your staff awfully, and expect an eventual bad reputation.

NZ: Copywrong?

Oh, please, pro-copyright industry people.

Copyright infringement is not theft.

I am an author, I am about to release my eBook on iBooks through apple's iTunes. I want people to 'pirate' it and torrent it to their hearts content. One illegal download will not affect a paid download whatsoever, in fact it will actually help spread the word of my work to other people in hopes if they actually like my media -- other people they know will find this out and then buy it legally. The copyright 'industry' are just a bunch of rich wankers who have no actual moral interest in the work they are trying to protect. Ask most artists, musicians and they will tell you they do not support criminal sanctions for people merely 'sampling' work, or even flat out taking it without paying.

Notwithstanding all evidence which has been studied countless times worldwide showing copyright theft does no actual harm to sales or profits:it is common sense that the more something is downloaded for free, the more people discuss, share, and comment on it therefore increasing sales through word of mouth.

Still think i'm being too wishful of a thinker? Look at the iTunes top 50 lists. Now go and look at the top 50 lists of downloaded albums from websites such as the pirate bay. They are so closely matched, you cannot argue that more downloads illegally leads to less sales officially. It is a failed argument, rooted in 19th century thinking. 

I wanna turn to my own issue with how the "law" handles "copyright" of "media" today.

1) I cannot legally download any of my favorite TV shows from the iTunes NZ store because of licensing issues that are not my problem, or concern.

1a) This would not be an issue for anybody if our local TV stations played TV shows within a reasonable timeframe of them airing in the united states (~7 days or less)

Conclusion: I 'pirate' the television shows I watch not only for entertainment value but also because I blog for a living and one of my websites is dedicated to reviewing and commenting on television shows. Some would say this arranges me as an exception in regards to copyright (fair use, review, education) but I can't be bothered even defending myself because

1) If I could legally download my favorite TV shows from the iTunes NZ store, I would pay for them or,

1a) If television shows streamed at the same time as in the states on our local stations, I would watch them paid for by advertisements or my telstraclear cable bill.

It is unreasonable and untenable to hold me back from both watching, reviewing and commenting on television shows I like to watch in this, our globalized world.

Oh, and by the way: I pay for music I enjoy via iTunes and have kept all records for this if the copyright "lobby" ever comes knocking on my door.

Greed.

The following is a letter I wrote to the WCC about the Copyright Amendment Act currently before parliament. 


I think this bill is a step in the right direction but I first must highlight some of the shortcomings of fighting copyright infringement, and ask for the removal of one aspect in the legislation which will affect the human rights of all New Zealanders. The first issue I have with this bill is that it is clearly the archetype of lobbying via the entertainment industry.

The entertainment industry is clearly shown to be stuck in 20th century modes of thinking and ultimately, no matter what legislation is passed: it will all eventually fail and lead to a fairer market for both consumers and producers of media. Until then though, we have to deal with draconian laws that are at best, unnecessary. Turning to my first point, I am fine with the penalty to remain at a maximum of $15,000 but I would like to see this penalty only enforced by judges for repeat offenders who deliberately share and/or make a profit from materials to which they do not have a copyright for. I don't personally agree with the intent of the damages for individuals but, i understand this is a trade off I have to make due to certain viewpoints. I am not as sympathetic to other areas of the law though.

What I wish to see removed is the option for disconnection via the ISP (or anyone). The internet is an imperatively important part of our lives. Some people use it to keep in touch with family, others to read news, others run businesses online, share information, seek information, find articles to help with study, to entertain their children, publish blogs, video blogs, status updates, and also in emergencies such as when the power was cut in wellington not so long ago. Twitter was first place to find information and without internet access a human is cut off from the wider world in a way that has huge human rights implications that go beyond and above the crisis the entertainment industry faces by a person downloading a few mp3 songs or movies. One thing i'd like to point out are actual real case studies which have shown time and time again that those who download copyrighted material are almost always the ones who purchase the same or similar media in legal ways as-well.

 I refuse to comment on my online habits but for the purposes of this submission, I do regularly buy music from iTunes on a weekly basis. There is no way I would have been able to buy as much media as I have done without having first being able to preview it. What i'm saying is, outlawing innocent acts of preview or review - by an innocent individual will actually have counter-intutive effects for the entertainment industry as people are too afraid to test the waters and venture out into new music genres, tastes and forms.

This bill as it currently stands will exact much more negative influence than positive. The only good that will come of it stands in the pockets of executives and their ultra-conservative egos which are driven by greed, and the need for power and conformity in a world who's facets are evolving every day.

Ultimately, where the current copyright act fails, the new one also fails - but in different areas. There was a reason such huge public backlash was compelled last year. The law was an obvious tool for use only by the rich in their antiquated quest for supremacy. Listen to the people this time, seriously. Don't let the current version of the act pass - and don't vouch for the removal of a service such like electricity, should be deemed a necessity to human life. Regards, Morgan.

ARTEMIS

This is just a rough draft of an epic-magickal fantasy I wrote when I was fourteen years old. Feel free to comment and let me know what I can do to make it better, I know it is quite incomplete and lacks depth, but yeah, here it is.

ARTEMIS 

2003-2010

 EDIT 

CHAPTER ONE

“Where am I?” 

Night Had fallen once more and Artemis’’s sleeping patterns magnified.

It seemed that the cloudy, dark black sky was spinning around him in an attempt to make him dizzy.

“Stop just stop spinning”…, he whispered right before he saw her. Another girl. Slowly the spinning stopped and Artemis found himself floating high in the air where the wind flew past without a whisper. He wiped his blowing hair from his face then sharpened his eyes in an attempt to see what was going on down in the grass below him. There she was: the young girl with bronzy brownish hair only more noticeable by contrast to her pale white skin. It appeared she was being assaulted by someone.

“What the!?” 

Trying to focus, Artemis attempted to identify who the second figure was. He squinted his eyes. He could still only see a dark silhouette shaped figure. Something about looking at the figure made him feel angry so he closed his eyes as a means of escape.

“Is this really a dream?” 

It felt too real this time. Touch. The first sign that he knew something was going wrong. And something was.

Everything began to rush inside his brain, faster and faster and faster. Tension mounted inside his head. So much fear, so much hatred, so much pain. Artemis screamed as he awoke, his head was not bleeding but it may as well have been. He felt as though he had been in two places at once. His physical body left shaking from the frosty wind didn’t enhance his emotional state either. For the first few moments he sat awake motionless, like a patsy. Snap.

His dream haunted him. He stared blankly into his reflection - taking a good look at his rough blonde hair and baggy morning blue eyes, just to make sure he was who he remembered. This boy stared transfixed at the palms of his hands, his brain both terrified but also amused with images from his sleep. After a long while he decided to take a look outside of his closed window in solemnity, in hopes of manipulating his body into calm.

--

Rose peered up at the sky eager to release the millions of thoughts floating randomly inside her while at the same time considering what would happen if she let anything go. The grass surrounding her was a green silver color and bright trees stood magnificently; giving whoever knelt under them much needed shade. The Garden itself was endless eclipsed only by sky as far as the eye would let anyone see. Sitting under the shade of a beautiful kowari tree, she hummed sweetly and projected her thoughts through a screen of green and yellow melancholy: smiling at grief. 

Being a young teenager, Rose took pride in her hidden ego but kept a close tab on revealing it. She was beautiful. Her milky white skin reflected the sun when she stunned it with her piercing green eyes. Her hair appeared as long as the day while more beautiful than a bunch of roses, glistening a dark coffee bronze in the warm rays. 

Like an energy ball, she was dangerous and excitable though also on the verge of an impending implosion without being careful. The sad thing is that she was alone. 

A peculiar flash of dark light softened the atmosphere, she could tell something had changed. Rose figured as much and wondered why he was back so soon though without acknowledging the sudden presence of evil. 

A shadowy silhouette like man appeared in front of her. Stepping forward with a smirk, he revealing an injured eye. He appeared to be a demon like monster sporting both slicked back blue hair and the usual blood seeping eye sockets.

“”What do you want?”” Rose whispered calmly. 

“”I’m here to warn you, Rose”.” 

He spoke with a low pitched, gruesome tone. Carrying a staunch persona, one would have to look very deep down to notice how he looked at her through a lens in fear and anticipation. Rose twisted her head in his direction. The blank looking facial expression she carried not fitting for the situation.

“

”You’re not supposed to be in the Ravin, let go!”” Rose screamed in anger while the beast lunged uncontrollably at her skirt and ripped off the left shoulder strap in its wake.

“”Stop!”” A voice gasped. 

His voice echoed. 

The creature ceased and tried to decipher who was about.

Rose glanced up at the sky quickly, unable to notice either. 

She didn’’t need to because the prophecy spoke of his coming.

“Enough,” the demonic figure demanded. 

He raised his long, cold, icy spew colored hand to her forehead. A dark purple light formed in his palm. 

““I have been waiting for this day”” 

The energy emitting from the dark and powerful ball of light sent physical ripples through the air. Rose was swept off her feet, causing her body to wince madly and keel over towards the grass below her.

“”Where are you Galeia?”” She cried out right before disappearing, just in time to avoid the ravaging ball of energy which punched a massive hole in the earth. 

Nearly a split second later she re-appeared, this time behind the beast. However, she was not alone. Standing next to her was a trusted friend.

““This isn’t your place Demian, get out of here”

The woman ordered the monster thus. He took heed and vanished seconds later…

--

Carrying himself confidently, Artemis entered the Garden for the first time. He didn’’t notice that he was being watched. The markets were buzzing with noise as they normally did, especially considering it was a special day to many of the magical creatures. For the elves it was a joyous occasion, it had been exactly a century since they had waved white flags and made peace with the elks. The same thing could be said for Cleft’s who, once shunned from the entire magickal community for centuries: had been invited back. The conflict in the past only actually arose because of general tradition. 

Being a young Cleft himself, Artemis didn’t always appreciate how much his ancestors had to fight to bring about as much change. It was a feeling he should have savored. 

You see, fate has a way of re-aligning conflicting groups to create an  entirely different world. The creatures of the now should have remembered that change in itself can easily be reversed. The universe works exactly the same way lives do. There is much change, there is heightened growth, there is innumerable experience to be had. 

But at the end of the day we all end up right back where we started different, changed but, always home.

Rose crept out from the shadows. She stood up to reveal her face. It was one that Artemis knew at least he thought he knew in his dreams.

“”What do I do now?”” 

She asked out loud, though nobody stood near her in the physical sense. A few seconds later she nodded, raised her fingers upwards and concentrated. Artemis stared blankly, unsure of how appropriately to react. Rose imagined bright white orbs surrounding her with her eyes closed. A small white light appeared a few breaths away from the tips of her fingers as she opened her eyes and smiled. 

--

Further above, an elder concentrated. 

His jade eyes peered across the clouds cautiously. Sensing danger he called out.

““Galeia. If you’re here show yourself, I have some news.”

”His voice was very stern, poignant and precise. It was a matter of seconds before she appeared a few meters away from him. She caught his glance and took a step backwards. It had been a long time since they had been in contact with each other in person. 

“”Leon. What is it?”” she asked without a breath. 

She scanned him; noticing how different he looked were since they last met. 

Greasy, spiky black hair stood out obviously. This was seriously not the way an elder should want to present himself. 

““Artemis is not of greater concern yet, but there is danger in the Garden. He tried to kidnap Rose again and cannot be trusted.””

The pupils in Galeia’’s eyes darted from side to side. She didn’’t believe he knew it. Although the Garden to her was one of the only sacred places left in their world, she had experience with its darker roots.

“”I know, I was there helping her. How do you know of this?”” She asked. Galeia always thought of Leon as suspect ever since he had been removed from imperial service.

““I have my own connections.”” 

He replied abruptly with a small smile.

“”Okay,”” Galeia gasped, her hands rubbing stressfully across her forehead.

“”What do I do then?”” she asked, the girl’s youthfulness not helping her confusion. 

Leon thought for a moment.

He unlocked a glass door in the sky tower and exited downstairs, curiously leaving Galeia in silence. 

He glanced down on his way further down and felt uneasy at what he could see. The power to observe the aftermath of what was about to happen was no gift. He knew that it was time. Nobody else would dare try and get a premonition about what was about to occur... a perfect secret. 

Everything had been pre-determined. 

Fate was like that. 

It lavished at the idea that it could plan things millenniums in advance.