Ricky Martin Lathlin worked as a roofer here in Winnipeg. Not only was he a co-worker, he was a friend. It sounds like an old cliche but Rick was very much the person who would do anything for anyone. He was a source of comfort and inspiration for everyone who knew him. Battling his own personal demons, Rick always had time for others as he truly possessed a heart of gold. Everyone in his neighbourhood loved and respected him, even the children. This is where Rick excelled – his interaction with children. Whenever I dropped Rick at home after a day’s work all of the neighbourhood kids would run up to the truck to greet him. I can’t count the number of times we arrived at Rick’s home on a Friday evening and he would jump out of the truck and buy ice cream for all of the kids present. This is but one small example of the kind of person he was – there are many more.

And this is how Rick died – putting others before him. Last weekend, Rick was visiting a friends house enjoying a few drinks after a long week of work. Suddenly and without warning all hell broke loose. A group of people (as large as 10 by some estimates) smashed the front window of the home he was visiting. The attackers then barged in through the unlocked front door. The son of the person Rick was visiting met the intruders at the front door only to be physically assaulted. This is where Rick jumped in. Pulling his friends son out of harms way Rick interjected himself into the situation and was fatally assaulted with a meat cleaver as a result. The attackers fled but the damage was done. By the time emergency services arrived it was too late. The blood loss suffered by Ricky was too much to overcome and he passed away.

It seems as if each time I pick up the paper or turn on the radio or television I hear about a stabbing or shooting. But this is the first time it involved someone I knew and cared about.

Ricky was far too good of a person to die this way.

A body of North American Islamic scholars has issued a fatwa, or religious decree, forbidding Muslims from passing through the devices …

Now, it isn’t my intention to slam Islam in this post. Truth be told I dislike all organized religion. Some of my libertarian friends oppose the scanners for philosophical reasons.

While I understand the resistance I disagree with it. Airplane hijacking and/or bombing is a favourite tactic of terrorists. One only has to look at the events of Sept. 11 to see how deadly the results can be. Frankly, when I get on a plane I want to be assured that I’ll be getting off safe with all body parts intact.

Flying is not a right, it’s a privilege. It’s also a contractual arrangement. By purchasing a ticket you agree to be bound by whatever terms are in place. If one finds the terms unacceptable then the solution is obvious – don’t purchase a ticket.

Of course the exercise is academic anyway since compliance is currently voluntary.

The new Equality Bill is currently winding its way through Parliament in the UK, and while from far perfect, came under a vicious attack from the Vatican for all of the wrong reasons. From the the Times Online,

The Vatican condemned Britain’s proposed equality law yesterday, complaining that legislation to give homosexual equal rights “violates natural law”.

The Vatican condemned the proposed equality law? Really? Well I condemn the Vatican and its medieval mentality. The Vatican further stated the equality bill violates natural law. I accuse the Vatican of not only violating common sense but of trying to interfere with the process of granting basic human rights.

While I respect the right of the knuckle-draggers in the Vatican to hold to any belief they like the sexual orientation of a person is nobody’s damn business. I’m a little sick and tired of the practice of prying into the private lives of others and dictating to them how those lives should be lived.

The fact a basic right can be denied someone purely on the basis of sexual orientation disgusts me. What disgusts me even more is those who defend the practice.

Blogging Tories member Rightchik stated something in a recent post that struck a chord in me. I quote,

What isn’t natural is that a young man I truly cared about is dead. Dead because life was unbearable because of the constant beatings and discrimination he took from people who thought his sexual orientation wasn’t natural.

As I have progressed through life I like to think I have evolved, have become wiser. Things I used to believe in I no longer do and vice-versa. The fact someone took his life because society (and I speak in generalities) made it unbearable troubles me.

Lest I be accused of being a sanctimonious oaf let me state for the record that I am far from perfect. I have my faults, biases and weaknesses just like the rest of you. But I am trying to work through those. And when I find sanctioned discrimination such as the type outlined here it angers me.

Here’s a little tip for those in the Vatican who would impose their antiquated views on the masses. You want more people to flock to the church and embrace your god? Drop the medieval rhetoric and join the rest of us in the 21st century. It’s not that bad. Really.

Credits:
photo courtesy Wikipedia
quotes www.timesonline.co.uk
http://rightchik.blogspot.com