The state of the NFL and MLS in St. Louis

I hope and dream of seeing an MLS team come to Saint Louis someday, possibly in a stadium shared with an NFL Team (preferably the Rams) akin to Seattle (home to the Sounders FC and the Seasquawks, our hated division rivals in the NFC West).

As of now, my club soccer allegiances are currently with the Chicago Fire (MLS), Arsenal (EPL), and Bayern Munich (Bundesliga), with Arsenal being the strongest and Bayern growing due to the TV deal with Fox Sports that takes effect this fall.

My advice to the MLS and the NFL: Get that new stadium built, keep the Rams in STL, and get an MLS team! St. Louis should get the MLS team it truly deserves.

As for the Rams, I hope for them to stay in STL, in spite of Stan Kroenke. St. Louis CANNOT afford to lose another NFL team!!!! I was born in 1990, and the Rams are the STL NFL team that I know and root for.

#WeHeartTim: The Tim Ezell era closes for good, Kim Hudson era opens

As the Tim Ezell era at Fox2 closed for good yesterday, we are entering a new era-- one that is led by Kim Hudson (who was promoted to 9AM host to replace Ezell). I was shocked and skeptical at first when they named Hudson to 9AM host, but in the past few days, she has proven to me that she could do his job well; however, I would've preferred Angie Mock in this role over K-Hud.

As for Hudson's current role, Fox2 has signed KTVQ (CBS affiliate in Billings, Montana) morning host Lisa Hart to fill in the 4AM/primary substitute anchor role that Hudson vacates, effective 08.04.2014.

I was sad to see Mr. Funny Man Ezell go off our airwaves, even if he wasn't everybody's cup of Uncle Si's tea.


Here's a video to Git Sum of your Ezell memories with, called No Bottom Jeans:

Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby: If SCOTUS rules in favor of Hobby Lobby, scary times are coming

Before the end of this month, the Supreme Court will make a critical decision on the fate of the HHS Mandate in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby. If the Court rules in favor of Hobby Lobby, it will be very scary indeed on women's health care and LGBTQ issues, giving the right carte blanche to discriminate for their Religious Right agenda.

In a major dose of hypocrisy for Hobby Lobby, the company was for birth control before they flipped against it in 2012.

I hope and pray that SCOTUS rules in favor of Sebelius when they decide Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby, most likely on either June 26th or June 30th.
When the decision comes, I will say the ruling goes 5-4 in either direction.

Regardless of how the outcome goes, please boycott Hobby Lobby and shop elsewhere for arts and crafts!

 Also, this case at SCOTUS won't be the last HHS Mandate-related case to make it to the highest court of America.

I lost Precinct Committeeman for 2014

I gave it my best, but still lost to the incumbent Helen Hawkins 41-9 in the Democratic Primary.

Post by Justin Gibson for Democratic Party Precinct Committeeman - Nameoki Twp 5.

I am running for Precinct Committeeman this year [#JGib4DPC]

I have decided to run as Democratic Party Precinct Committeeman in Madison County, IL in Nameoki Township Precinct 5, against incumbent Helen Hawkins.

I hope my precinct voters take a Democratic Party ballot and vote for me on March 18th, 2014,  as your new Precinct committeeman.

Facebook page to like: https://www.facebook.com/JGib4DPC

Farewell to Grace Baptist (and the SBC) and Hello to St. John UCC

It has come to this: I am officially leaving Grace Baptist Church, a church that I called home for the past 13+ years is no longer going to be my home of worship and my last remaining link to the days that I stayed over at Grandma Alice's on Saturday nights to go to church on Sundays.

After the end of the evening worship service on Sunday Night, I was lectured by Steve Trask, the worship leader, on certain theological and political issues-- most notably homosexuality and my support of same-sex marriage and abortion. He raised ire over my Facebook profile picture supporting marriage equality in honor of the state's passage of SB10 last week (and he raised complaints over it earlier in 2013). He also noticed that I was NEVER a formal member of GBC; however, my now-deceased Grandma was, via a letter from Suburban. More dubiously, I was ALMOST scheduled to be baptized back in October 2003; however, the bus forgot to came by that Sunday, and thus I was not to be baptized that day.

I told him, Pastor Daniel, the Helliges, and a few others at the church that night as to why I am leaving. The reason?
It is that I can no longer abide to be a regular attender at a church whose theology opposes abortion rights, marriage equality, liberalism, women's rights, cohabitation, divorce, single parenting (my mom divorced my dad in 2006), safe sex education, contraception, and birth control. Also, it was better to resign on my own rather than forcing a possible expulsion from attendership by the church.

I have came to know a lot of very pleasant people from the church over the years, including but not limited to: Thom and Rosie Wells, Alicia Gaines (via GCHS) and her son Hudson, David and Jessica Hellige and their son Camdyn, Bro. John Oswald (no longer at GBC), Bro. Ben Towell and Heather Towell, Bill and Theresa Horn and their daughters Jackie and Cherish, William Southerland, Nicki and Gary Zimmerman and their two daughters Brooke and Brianna, Tim and Tracey Faulkner, Taylor Riggs, Terry and Kimberly Jackson, Robin Macios, Tim Hayes, Chris Markovich and the Clowns Thru Grace Ministry, Jesse Maeser, Millie Hand, Kathy Rudolph, Rich Trindle (now deceased), Alexis and Sean Betts, Kelsey Grillion, Ryan Faulkner, Keith and Kelly Dunnigan, Doug and Dana Clemons, Steve and Karen Trask and their two children Jessica and Steven, Andrea and Andrew O'Shia, Jeremy Hartman, Mike and Millie Hankes, Corissa Steele, Dawn Boone, Peggy Cunningham, Beverly Brassfield, Joe Miller and the Jezreel Sun band, Sheila Gergen, Phil and Lisa Lemus, Alicia and Kevin Shaffer and their daughter Victoria, Jon Ferry, Chelsea Toussaint, Jolene and Gary Terrell, Ed and Denise Clothier, Amanda Mitchell, Ed and Joanie Niepert, Kevin and Katie Feigenbutz, Cathy Mitchell, Ron and Vickie Ferry, Don Thompson, Jesse Welty, Larry Freese, Kinsey McKibbin, Danny McNeely, Melissa Mullen, Craig and Mary Astorian and their daughter April, Mike and Rebecca Sullivan, Mark and Val Haas, Carla Hughes, Christi Clark, Sherry Phouangmalay, Kennedy Capps, Nick Garner, Steven Garner, Martinea Dailey, Ike and Danielle Newman, and countless others.

And I will no longer be posting church announcements on the Grace Baptist Church FB group page anymore except the church Fantasy Football league for the remainder of the current season.

With all that being said, I will find myself a new church home (which is most likely St. John UCC) possibly as soon as this upcoming Sunday or the next one.

Despite being at a new church, I will still be at the GBC fantasy football draft for next year and all future years and be open to occasional visits.




My blogpost from June 2013 on this issue contains much of the same reasons why I am withdrawing now.

I started attending back in 2000 when my Grandma switched membership from Suburban Baptist Church.Not long after my Grandma couldn't drive anymore, I relied on the strong and robust bus ministry to take me to and from there. If it weren't for them, I would likely be long gone from Grace. Also, I gained (and lost) friends during my 12.5 years at Grace Baptist. With that being said, there were bumps in the road along the way, such as attacks on my Christianity and liberalism in later years (primarily from Ron Martin), especially for endorsing President Obama and supporting abortion rights and same-sex marriage.  

How I became pro-choice and pro-marriage equality, which ties into this a lot: I'd say sometime between the election of Obama in 2008 and being in Ms. Ames' economics class and the passage of the Hate Crimes Law in 2009 for the latter. For the former, it was around the time that Dr. Tiller got killed that changed my views on abortion from leaning personally pro-life but not for restrictive abortion laws to pro-choice and even moreso recently. However, I am still opposed to assisted suicide.

My tweet announcing the departure from Grace Baptist, after 13+ years there and a lifelong attender of a Southern Baptist Convention church:

I have decided to finally leave Grace Baptist Church, a church that I was a part of for 13+ years.
— Justin Gibson (@JGibsonDem) November 11, 2013

Victory has been achieved in Illinois, as it becomes the 15th state to pass marriage equality

Yesterday, as the SB10 bill was passed in the House 61-54-2-1 and then subsequently passed the Senate 32-21-0-6, Illinois became the 15th state (plus DC) to pass marriage equality.


It was a very good day for us Illinois who believed in fairness and equality, and a very bad day for the homophobes such as the Illinois Family Institute who lobbied against it.

USNews.NBCNews.com:

The Illinois General Assembly approved a bill on Tuesday to allow gays and lesbians to marry in the Land of Lincoln, opening the path for the state to become the 15th to allow same-sex marriage. 

The vote capped a months-long wait for a ballot on the measure while gay marriage advocates worked on getting the support needed to pass the legislation. The House of Representatives, where the bill stalled earlier this year after the Senate passed it, approved the legislation, 61-54.  

“Today, the Illinois House put our state on the right side of history,” said Gov. Pat Quinn, who has long vowed to sign the legislation.  The measure had to return to the Senate since the House added an amendment to make June 1 the effective date of the legislation — rather than 30 days after Quinn signs it. The Senate quickly endorsed the bill after the House vote.

After the ballot, the White House tweeted: "RT if you agree that every American should have the freedom to marry who they love."

Illinois is poised to become the 15th state nationwide to allow same-sex marriage and join two of its Midwest neighbors – Iowa and Minnesota – in granting gay couples the right to wed. The District of Columbia allows gay marriage, too.
The vote comes two weeks after same-sex marriages began in New Jersey, where the state dropped its legal appeal to prohibit the weddings, and comes ahead of a similar ballot in Hawaii.
Rep. Greg Harris, a primary sponsor of the bill from Chicago who is openly gay, announced last May that he wouldn't call a vote on the legislation since he wasn’t sure it had enough support for approval, The Advocate reported. 

[...] 

 Couples who had previously joined in civil unions, which were approved in the state 2010 and began in mid-2011, will be able to have that legal relationship converted into marriage. They have one year to make the change, and typical marriage fees will be waived, according to the legislation.

I am so happy about this!

Marriage Equality may be headed for a vote in the Illinois House next week. Will it pass?

Next week, as the veto session resumes in Illinois, a very important bill will be up for a vote in Springfield. That bill is the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act (IL SB10), which if passed, will make Illinois either the 15th or the 16th state to legalize marriage equality.

ABCChicago.com:

November 1, 2013 (CHICAGO) -- After months of energetic lobbying, both sides in the Illinois same-sex marriage debate are ready for a vote next week that supporters say would fulfill a pledge by the sponsor to bring the issue back to Springfield.
Anticipating a likely vote during the final week of the veto session, some lawmakers previously on the fence have announced their position on the question. Others are quickly drafting proposed changes so they can support the bill. More activists are calling for immediate action. And even opponents are planning for fallout ahead of the campaign season.  

IllinoisObserver.net:

(Chicago) – Insider: It seems likely that the Illinois House will be voting on same sex marriage legislation when lawmakers return to Springfield next week.
State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), the measure’s chief House sponsor, strongly hinted on Wednesday night that he plans to call the bill for a vote during the last week of the fall veto session which begins on Tuesday, November 5. 

“I think my colleagues should be prepared next week to make history on marriage equality,” Harris told The Illinois Observer during his fall fundraiser in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood.
“I spent the day making calls on marriage,” Harris said. “I very happy.” 

Another Democratic lawmaker contacted by The Illinois Observer echoed Harris.
“Greg says he’s calling the bill next week and that’s he got the votes,” said the legislator. “I don’t know who he has flipped.” 

In May, on the last day of the legislature’s spring session, Harris declined to call the legislation, Senate Bill 10, for a vote, saying that the votes were not there and that his colleagues needed more time in order to consult their constituents for a vote in the fall.
Harris’ comments on Wednesday come on the heels of other political intelligence that surfaced earlier this week regarding House Speaker Michael Madigan and the marriage equality legislation.

The REAL FACTS about IL SB10:

I personally hope and pray that same-sex marriage is legalized in my home state, and I urge you to call and/or email your Representative to tell that person to vote YES on IL SB10! In the words of Duck Dynasty's Uncle Si, Let's pass the damn bill, jack!

More on the IL marriage equality fight, see the #IL4M tag on Justin's Political Corner: http://justinspoliticalcorner.tumblr.com/tagged/IL4M


Twitter/Instagram/Facebook hashtags in support of IL SB10: #IL4M, #ILove, #ILequality, #ILSB10, #ILCantWait

The St. Louis Rams are exciting again.

I was born in 1990, when the team was known as the Los Angeles Rams. Then in 1995, the Rams moved to St. Louis and they stayed there since then.

I was so happy when the Rams won a Super Bowl back in 2000 against the Tennessee Titans.
2 years later, it was the opposite: the New England Cheatriots (Patriots) snatched a Super Bowl victory out of our hands.

And during the rest of the 2000s and until 2011, it was depressing to be a Rams fan, but I stuck with them.

During the disastrous 2009 season in which they were 1-15-0, the lowest point of the history of the occurred in franchise history, but even worse damage was thankfully averted, as Rush Limbaugh's bid to buy the team was denied. Had Limbaugh been allowed to own the Rams, it would've been the impetus to quit rooting for the Rams and cheer on the Steelers, Bills, and/or the Bears instead.


Nowadays, the Rams are getting much better.

Tomorrow will be the biggest day in the history of LGBTQ rights in America

Tomorrow, at 10:00AM EDT/9:00AM CDT/7:00AM PDT, the Supreme Court of the United States will decide the fate of two key LGBTQ rights/marriage equality cases: California's Prop 8 (Hollingsworth v. Perry) and DOMA (United States v. Windsor).


How I realistically view what SCOTUS will rule on the two cases: DOMA is expected to get buried in the trashcan (i.e. overturned), while Prop 8 will either be struck down in some fashion (California-only being most likely) or get punted.

Let's hope and pray that DOMA and Prop 8 are both fully off the books!!!

URGENT announcement: This concerns my future as a member of Grace Baptist

Grace Baptist Church, Granite City, IL.

I really, really, really do NOT want to be typing about this issue regarding my future membership at my church, Grace Baptist Church... and I have no choice but to do so. The concern is that my church is proposing a Statement on Marriage and Sexuality that will be voted on in the 06.12.2013 business meeting, designed primarily to silence and/or eject me and any other Democrats/LGBTQ rights/pro-reproductive choicers out of the church. As I personally believe that abortion, cohabitation, same-sex marriage, and homosexuality are not sins, this looks like the end of Grace Baptist membership for me, mostly due to the power grab proposal by the GBC higher ups. The proposal will make me end my volunteering opportunities at GBC.

I started attending back in 2000 when my Grandma switched membership from Suburban Baptist Church.
Not long after my Grandma couldn't drive anymore, I relied on the strong and robust bus ministry to take me to and from there. If it weren't for them, I would likely be long from Grace. Also, I gained (and lost) friends during my 12.5 years at Grace Baptist. With that being said, there were bumps in the road along the way, such as attacks on my Christianity and liberalism in later years (primarily from Ron Martin), especially for endorsing President Obama and supporting abortion rights and same-sex marriage.


How I became pro-choice and pro-marriage equality, which ties into this a lot: I'd say sometime between the election of Obama in 2008 and being in Ms. Ames' economics class and the passage of the Hate Crimes Law in 2009 for the latter. For the former, it was around the time that Dr. Tiller got killed that changed my views on abortion from leaning personally pro-life but not for restrictive abortion laws to pro-choice and even moreso recently. However, I am still opposed to assisted suicide.

There were lots of changes during that period, including:

• Bro. Steve Trask became music director in 2001. 
• realignment of the children's classes back in 2002 to coincide with the then-realignment of K-5 Elementary, 6-8 MS, 9-12 HS at GCSD9. (now changed to K-4 Elementary, 5-6 Intermediate, 7-8 Middle/Junior High, 9-12 HS at GCSD9)
• Bro. John Oswald named associate pastor in 2004. 
• the move to a new auditorium (from the old sanctuary, which is the current youth/multipurpose room) in 2005.
• Bro. Ben Towell named youth director in 2005.
• the abolishment of choir robes somewhere shortly after the new auditorium was completed.
• In 2006, the youth department moved to the old sanctuary.
• In October 2008, the church went to 2 Sunday services/2 Sunday Schools (9:15 and 10:45AM).
• October 2009 was the big Awakening event.
• former pastor Bro. John Gamblin resigned during the middle of the St. Louis Cardinals World Series run in October 2011.
• Thom and Rosie Wells quit the bus ministry on a regular basis in February 2012. They both still sub on Sunday Mornings and at VBS when warranted. 
• Weekly bus breakfasts were abolished in April 2012.
• associate pastor Bro. John Oswald left in August 2012. 
• The reversion back to the single Sunday morning worship service (10:45)/Sunday School (9:15) at the start of 2013.
• Bro. Daniel Wilson voted in on May 5th, 2013 and officially will take over on June 30th, 2013. 

What the odious anti-religious and anti-LGBTQ rights bill really does:

The statement that says "...It is imperative that all persons employed by the Church in ANY capacity, or who serve as volunteers, should abide by and agree to this Statement on Marriage and Sexuality conduct themselves accordingly" is the biggest reason why I am considering leaving Grace Baptist Church. It means that if the proposal passes, bye-bye VBS volunteering like I did the past two years, as I do NOT intend to follow the new M&S statement.



Why I will decide to leave Grace Baptist?

• The theological and political differences are already distant as it is between me and other members and are too great to overcome.
• I have nearly came close to being forced out of there due to Ronald Martin's blatant lies about me and his theology. 
• The church's lobbying efforts (albeit not very intense) to defeat and/or stall marriage equality in Illinois and at the Supreme Court. 
• Attacks on abortion rights, most infamously during the Super Bowl 2013 sermon by Interim Pastor Charley Westbrook. 

What to do after my likely leave from Grace? I will be headed to a new church that is at least somewhat more in line with my theological and political viewpoints, and it will be St. John UCC in Granite City. And that may start after my vacation on the last weekend of June.



If this proposal takes effect immediately, then the last Sunday I'll be at Grace as a regular attender will be either on 06.16 or 06.23 (when Pastor Daniel Wilson will preach). This is NOT a joke at all. That also means the end of posting announcements on the group's facebook page. In addition, my fantasy football career with the church is in great peril.
UPDATE: I am sticking with Grace until at least August or until expulsion.


I urge all the congregants to vote NAY on Wednesday night, 06.12.2013, and plan on showing up to vote NO on this idea, although the idea will pass by a big margin sadly. Even if I get expelled for voting NAY on this idea, it is worth the price.

A very sad day for Illinois and LGBTQ rights supporters: marriage equality punted... for now

As you may have known last night, the Illinois House of Representatives gutlessly decided NOT to vote on the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act (IL SB10), which was the bill that would've made Illinois the 13th state to legalize marriage equality. This was a bill that I personally thought was going to pass (or at least voted on). Alas, it wasn't.

As a result, I am really upset at the Illinois House and at House Speaker Michael Madigan especially for allowing a non-vote to happen. Also, ANY Democrat that votes NO to marriage equality in the fall session should get a primary challenger!

The viciously homophobic Illinois Family Institute declared last night's non-vote a "victory for 'traditional marriage'":

The bill to legalize same-sex “marriage” has failed to advance in the Illinois House before lawmakers adjourned for the summer. In a bit of political theater, the bill’s sponsor, homosexual activist Greg Harris (D-Chicago) wept as he stood on the House floor to announce that he didn’t have the votes to pass the bill. In a liberal state like Illinois, this is a truly remarkable victory. 

As Christians we know that all good things are gifts from God, and the retention of sexual complementarity in the government’s definition of marriage is a very good thing. The failure of this bill is a good thing for children, for parental rights, for religious liberty, for the common good, and for truth. 

Despite what the bill’s supporters claim in a dishonest attempt to stigmatize supporters of natural marriage, the retention of sexual complementarity in the legal definition of marriage bears no kinship to bans on interracial marriage. Nor does it signify injustice to those who seek to marry someone of the same sex. The failure of this bill signifies that marriage has a nature which the government merely recognizes and regulates, central to which is sexual complementarity. 

We should praise and thank God for this victory in an ever-expanding war on truth, and then redouble our efforts to preserve true marriage. Those who have worked so hard deserve a moment to celebrate and rest—but not for long. Representative Harris has promised to bring this bill back in the Fall Veto Session.

Dear IFI, you may be celebrating in the short-term, but just you wait until the SCOTUS verdicts on DOMA and/or Prop 8 go against your side and the Illinois legislatures vote again on this issue in November, you won't be celebrating then. This non-vote on IL SB10 in the house is NOT a "victory" at all, it is just a delay of the game or even a defeat.

Homophobic cranks at the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) also gloated last night's non-vote in the House as a "victory."
NOM:

Washington, DC — The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today celebrated the failure of legislation to come to a vote late this evening in Illinois seeking to redefine marriage, thus preserving marriage in the state as the union of one man and one woman. The bill's House sponsor, Rep. Greg Harris, announced this evening that he did not have the votes to pass the measure and would not bring the legislation to a vote. Assuming this is the case, the bill is thus dead until the fall when the Legislature reconvenes for a veto session. 

"This effort to redefine marriage in Illinois was one of the most fiercely contested legislative battles in the country this year," said Brian Brown, NOM's president. "This is a great victory for our allies and supporters, as well as Illinois families who have worked tirelessly with us to preserve marriage in Illinois. We are gratified that our collective hard work has paid off in this stunning victory." 

"So much for the inevitability of gay marriage," said Brian Brown. "With a coalition that included strong support from the African American community as well as so many others throughout the state, we did what nobody in the intelligentsia thought was possible. This is a huge victory at a pivotal time, and totally undercuts the lie that somehow same-sex marriage is inevitable."

What you're really doing, NOM, is that you're only delaying the inevitable passage of marriage equality in the state.


But here's the good news: When the Fall Veto Session resumes, hopefully we'll get marriage equality passed and done right!! Pray for it to be passed this fall!!!


Chicago Phoenix:

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois gay and lesbian couples will not wake up to the promise of full marriage equality on Saturday. 

In a devastating and unexpected blow to marriage equality supporters Friday, the sponsor of a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage was unable to call the measure up for vote before time ran out on the legislative session. 

The sudden and resounding defeat for marriage proponents ends an intense, emotional, and at times nasty months-long debate over the issue in the Spring legislative session, but hope remains for another shot in the November veto session. 

All of that was felt in the House chamber when Rep. Greg Harris, the bill’s sponsor stood to speak minutes before adjournment.
The entire room fell silent. 

Harris rose from his chair, and in a tearful message to the Illinois House, said he was unable to convince enough of his fellow lawmakers and achieve a 60-vote majority required to pass the bill. Those assembled in the gallery erupted, shouting “Call the vote!” But Harris stood, momentarily crippled by the response, and then continued to explain.
The state General Assembly will return for the veto session later this year.

UPDATE (06.01.2013): Illinois same-sex marriage bill gets a reprieve, will be considered anytime before August 31st, per the Illinois Observer..

(Springfield, IL) – Insider: The Illinois same sex marriage bill had its deadline date for approval extended into the summer. 

House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) acted quietly on Friday night before the House adjourned to extend the bill’s deadline for approval until August 31. 

State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) told a packed House chamber on Friday evening that he had to put off a vote on the proposal until November. 

However, were Governor Pat Quinn to call lawmakers back to Springfield in the summer for a special session to address pension reform, which also was left without resolution, he could include Senate Bill 10 in a special session proclamation. 

If Quinn declines to include marriage equality in any order to lawmakers to return to Springfield, Madigan could call a House special session of his own at the same time to take up the legislation, an insider noted. 

Nevertheless, during a summer session, House lawmakers would need to amend the bill and change the effective date from “30 days” from a gubernatorial signature to January 1 in order to avoid a 3/5th or 71 vote requirement, an insurmountable hurdle.
Amending the bill’s effective date would also require an Illinois Senate vote to concur with such a change.

That is at least some good news.



More on the IL marriage equality fight, see the #IL4M tag on Justin's Political Corner: http://justinspoliticalcorner.tumblr.com/tagged/IL4M


Twitter/Instagram hashtags in support of IL SB10: #IL4M, #ILove, #ILequality, #ILSB10, #FightBackIL