Friday, May 31, 2019
Women in History
Have been reading a book I mentioned earlier called, "A Nation in God's Hands: Ellen White and the Civil War," by Jud Lake ["Learning From The Past," March 4, 2019]. According to this book, a black man named Frederick Douglass was a longtime abolitionist and he praised the work of the female abolitionists. He said they had deep convictions and tender feelings; and they worked hard speaking and writing, and doing other work.... Some of them were former slaves but not all of them were. A woman named Harriet Beecher Stowe was a Yankee and the daughter of a minister. In 1852, she published a novel called "Uncle Tom's Cabin," about some slave families; and the book became a bestseller in the northern USA. It wasn't just for entertainment but was to make people think.... The book is still being sold and read today, which shows how significant it was....
Have also mentioned before that gay rights have been compared to the blacks overcoming slavery and getting civil rights.... It's my understanding that the special police project began discreetly in 1932 and all or most police officers were male, at the time. They specifically wanted a female civilian to hep them.... I believe the ideas and work of people like Frederick Douglass and Harriet Stowe may have had an influence on them.... I've also heard that a few of the female abolitionists had joined my church many years ago. And Ellen White was a strong abolitionist, although she never joined a society for it.
Right now, I believe most of the work of the police project has been completed.... There's some lingering prejudice in our society.... It mainly remains for the involved police to go public with their work. [It's been said the majority of the police don't know about it--only a smaller portion do.]
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
I Haven't Been Perfect
Recently, my blog dashboard showed that someone was concerned about my "Bible" writing ["The Bible and Human Rights," May 30, 2016] and the fact that I needed to make amends for inappropriate behaviour.... I've been encouraging other people to follow the Bible and didn't always do it, myself! It happens that I mostly went to Christian schools throughout my school years...but I'm an imperfect human being. When there's a conflict, especially if it's complicated, it can be hard to see the right answers.... Everyone wants to justify themselves, at least sometimes, and I've been included in that....
Anyway, I believe the police wanted my help in the special police project and I've been able to help.... There were many other people working, besides myself.... If I was too perfect, I might not've been willing or able to help with the gay issues.... And I believe I've made progress in resolving the criminal and pre-criminal problems. In the past, I didn't always know how to be effective, although I tried.... It seems I'm more on the right track now.--I'd like to think so, and I feel reasonably comfortable....
Anyway, I believe the police wanted my help in the special police project and I've been able to help.... There were many other people working, besides myself.... If I was too perfect, I might not've been willing or able to help with the gay issues.... And I believe I've made progress in resolving the criminal and pre-criminal problems. In the past, I didn't always know how to be effective, although I tried.... It seems I'm more on the right track now.--I'd like to think so, and I feel reasonably comfortable....
Friday, May 17, 2019
To Clarify
When I said in a post below that I didn't want to "stir the pot of the landlord/tenant matter any more," I meant that I didn't want to make any more complaints about it, if I can help it.... I didn't mean I wouldn't write any more at all.... Just to be clear.
At some point after I attended the landlord/tenant hearing, I was aware I'd said some things incorrectly...and I knew I'd taken chances with the criminal matters afterwards, even though it was in an effort to help the situation.... But I felt bad.... When I saw an opportunity to advocate for gay issues and gay marriage, I thought it'd be a general way of making amends for my mistakes.... From what I saw, many people had been frightened by my actions.... And I'm glad I did the work of helping gay issues.... My recent action for PFLAG was a more specific amends...and I'd also taken a step for the criminal or pre-criminal issues, which I've written about lately.... It has all been very complicated...! It seems I've covered my bases now...? Nobody can change the past, but I feel comfortable that I've done what I can...? I hope people will forgive me.
At some point after I attended the landlord/tenant hearing, I was aware I'd said some things incorrectly...and I knew I'd taken chances with the criminal matters afterwards, even though it was in an effort to help the situation.... But I felt bad.... When I saw an opportunity to advocate for gay issues and gay marriage, I thought it'd be a general way of making amends for my mistakes.... From what I saw, many people had been frightened by my actions.... And I'm glad I did the work of helping gay issues.... My recent action for PFLAG was a more specific amends...and I'd also taken a step for the criminal or pre-criminal issues, which I've written about lately.... It has all been very complicated...! It seems I've covered my bases now...? Nobody can change the past, but I feel comfortable that I've done what I can...? I hope people will forgive me.
To Recap the Landlord/Tenant Matter, one more time
It was confirmed by lawyers and politicians that I had legitimate grounds to make a case of sexual harassment against my former landlady.... There was enough apparent evidence for it. But the case was never resolved completely in the legal process....
Have written elsewhere that "I made some mistakes in presenting my case and the Tribunal also erred...." And it also happened that before my landlady and I went to our hearing, I became angry with her--I had already moved a lot, with my young son, and was distraught at the prospect of having to move again. I said things that added to the confusion of the situation, rather than helping....
Just recently, I learned that it's possible to make amends in a dispute even when there's no longer any contact with the parties involved.... The problems weren't all my fault but I wanted to apologize in a concrete way for my part in them. So, I made a donation to PFLAG Canada--an organization which supports the parents, families, and friends of lesbians and gays.... I felt good afterwards and it seemed easier to rise above the situation and not let it get me down....
If people would like more information, they're welcome to read this blog.... There's an appropriate Label in the sidebar, or people can go back to the beginning.
Have written elsewhere that "I made some mistakes in presenting my case and the Tribunal also erred...." And it also happened that before my landlady and I went to our hearing, I became angry with her--I had already moved a lot, with my young son, and was distraught at the prospect of having to move again. I said things that added to the confusion of the situation, rather than helping....
Just recently, I learned that it's possible to make amends in a dispute even when there's no longer any contact with the parties involved.... The problems weren't all my fault but I wanted to apologize in a concrete way for my part in them. So, I made a donation to PFLAG Canada--an organization which supports the parents, families, and friends of lesbians and gays.... I felt good afterwards and it seemed easier to rise above the situation and not let it get me down....
If people would like more information, they're welcome to read this blog.... There's an appropriate Label in the sidebar, or people can go back to the beginning.
Friday, May 10, 2019
Another Donation--Part 3
Have now mailed a cheque to the head office of PFLAG Canada, in Ottawa. Their contact information was more convenient than that of the local office in my area....
In the future, I can be more sensitive and open-minded with homosexuals and bi-sexuals to make sure I'm not stepping on their toes without realizing it...? I can ask them for feedback, if they wish to give it...? [If not, okay.] Also, when there's a legal matter, it's always better to be calm.... I had tried to discuss something about my case in the angry phone message.... But a wise person, Aristotle, said "The law is reason, free from passion."
Am not meaning to say the matter with my former landlady was all my fault.... It wasn't brought to a conclusion in the legal system and there's probably nothing we can do about it? We might or might not ever have all the full answers...? I've had somewhat of an antagonistic attitude, up until now, and some people seemed to be antagonistic or hostile to me? But I feel positive now. I wrote in this blog earlier that I was willing to pass off the landlord/tenant matter as a learning experience and that's true...I also found out that some people in my church were gay.... So, right now I can "be the better person" by apologizing and making amends for my part in the problems. I'm sorry for getting angry with my landlady and for saying things inappropriately. I hope the donation to PFLAG will help someone else a little bit....
Maybe the people watching will accept this, and maybe not? But I feel good--much better than I used to! I think the special police project has maybe caused things to drag on longer than they otherwise would've.... But I sort of feel a sense of satisfaction or fulfillment, rather than feeling despair or hopelessness, which I sometimes used to. I feel that I'm on top of the matter rather than letting it get to me.... [And I can forgive myself also.]
******
Have started off trying to help the adjudicator feel better and I don't know if I did or not, but I've made myself feel better. And I don't want to stir the pot of the landlord/tenant matter any more....
In the future, I can be more sensitive and open-minded with homosexuals and bi-sexuals to make sure I'm not stepping on their toes without realizing it...? I can ask them for feedback, if they wish to give it...? [If not, okay.] Also, when there's a legal matter, it's always better to be calm.... I had tried to discuss something about my case in the angry phone message.... But a wise person, Aristotle, said "The law is reason, free from passion."
Am not meaning to say the matter with my former landlady was all my fault.... It wasn't brought to a conclusion in the legal system and there's probably nothing we can do about it? We might or might not ever have all the full answers...? I've had somewhat of an antagonistic attitude, up until now, and some people seemed to be antagonistic or hostile to me? But I feel positive now. I wrote in this blog earlier that I was willing to pass off the landlord/tenant matter as a learning experience and that's true...I also found out that some people in my church were gay.... So, right now I can "be the better person" by apologizing and making amends for my part in the problems. I'm sorry for getting angry with my landlady and for saying things inappropriately. I hope the donation to PFLAG will help someone else a little bit....
Maybe the people watching will accept this, and maybe not? But I feel good--much better than I used to! I think the special police project has maybe caused things to drag on longer than they otherwise would've.... But I sort of feel a sense of satisfaction or fulfillment, rather than feeling despair or hopelessness, which I sometimes used to. I feel that I'm on top of the matter rather than letting it get to me.... [And I can forgive myself also.]
******
Have started off trying to help the adjudicator feel better and I don't know if I did or not, but I've made myself feel better. And I don't want to stir the pot of the landlord/tenant matter any more....
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
An Overview
Yesterday I added a note to a previous post, "It Hasn't All Been 'Delusional.'" I had forgotten to say that my landlord/tenant matter wasn't delusional, even if there could be differences of opinions or perspectives....
My legal matters started with the landlord/tenant matter...and then the criminal problems came up.... At the beginning, I felt bad that I'd taken chances with the criminal matters--even though it was in an effort to HELP the situation.... (I took a chance and lost.) Some people were frightened. And that's why I'd gotten the idea to try to help with gay issues.... I read a comprehensive article in my local newspaper and then I lobbied for gay marriage....
The charitable donation that I want to make now is an extra thing--to apologize more specifically for problems I caused--and I think it's appropriate. I feel good about it.
The previous donation that I made recently was also to help make amends specifically for ill-advised actions I'd taken....
A little while after the criminal problems--and my probation--were over, then the mental health legal problems came up. It seemed some people stopped being afraid of the unresolved landlord/tenant matter at that time because they thought I was just a "crazy" person.... But there were other matters to resolve and we've been working on them.... (I hope, and expect, that one of these days, all the issues will be sorted out fairly....)
My legal matters started with the landlord/tenant matter...and then the criminal problems came up.... At the beginning, I felt bad that I'd taken chances with the criminal matters--even though it was in an effort to HELP the situation.... (I took a chance and lost.) Some people were frightened. And that's why I'd gotten the idea to try to help with gay issues.... I read a comprehensive article in my local newspaper and then I lobbied for gay marriage....
The charitable donation that I want to make now is an extra thing--to apologize more specifically for problems I caused--and I think it's appropriate. I feel good about it.
The previous donation that I made recently was also to help make amends specifically for ill-advised actions I'd taken....
A little while after the criminal problems--and my probation--were over, then the mental health legal problems came up. It seemed some people stopped being afraid of the unresolved landlord/tenant matter at that time because they thought I was just a "crazy" person.... But there were other matters to resolve and we've been working on them.... (I hope, and expect, that one of these days, all the issues will be sorted out fairly....)
Another Donation--Part 2
For the record, when I make a donation to Pflag or another organization, I'll use only my own name.... I have no reason to be talking about other people or telling their names....
It happened that when I lived at her basement apartment, my landlady seemed to be a closeted homosexual.... She never wanted to call herself gay but she showed by her behaviour that she was.... For the purpose of my legal matters--like with the former Ontario Human Rights Commission--I had to explain the situation to them and they accepted my belief that she was gay.... In 1998, the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy was being promoted in the news. I've done research on it since then and I learned that if a person didn't want to be recognized as gay, they couldn't show any gay behaviour.... You can't have it both ways, that is. It'd be duplicitous and dishonest to do so, in my opinion....
When I lived in her town, it wasn't for more than six months and I didn't talk with others about my landlady's name, except in legal documents after she initiated proceedings.... In this blog, I've never revealed her name, I'm quite sure!? But for the purpose of business in my Waterlily blogs, I want to accept it as fact that my landlady--anonymously--was gay.
[At the original hearing with my landlady at the former Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal, I incorrectly called my landlady gay--in the way that I said it--and incorrectly described sexual harassment, at the time.... But as I've explained in this blog, I learned to understand the laws better and to use the right language.... If I've left anything out, people can bring it to my attention...? (I think I'm okay?)]
{If anyone still has a question, I have a typed transcript of part of our ORHT hearing where the adjudicator acknowledged that my landlady had a romantic and/or sexual intention towards me by asking me to go to her apartment in the late evening to do some work which I'd agreed to do.... (I agreed to do the work but I was concerned about her late evening request...and there was more to the story.... She made a point of saying her daughter would be away for the night at her father's place.... There was no reason that I needed to be alone with my landlady in her apartment, in the late evening or nighttime hours, as far as I was concerned....)}
It happened that when I lived at her basement apartment, my landlady seemed to be a closeted homosexual.... She never wanted to call herself gay but she showed by her behaviour that she was.... For the purpose of my legal matters--like with the former Ontario Human Rights Commission--I had to explain the situation to them and they accepted my belief that she was gay.... In 1998, the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy was being promoted in the news. I've done research on it since then and I learned that if a person didn't want to be recognized as gay, they couldn't show any gay behaviour.... You can't have it both ways, that is. It'd be duplicitous and dishonest to do so, in my opinion....
When I lived in her town, it wasn't for more than six months and I didn't talk with others about my landlady's name, except in legal documents after she initiated proceedings.... In this blog, I've never revealed her name, I'm quite sure!? But for the purpose of business in my Waterlily blogs, I want to accept it as fact that my landlady--anonymously--was gay.
[At the original hearing with my landlady at the former Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal, I incorrectly called my landlady gay--in the way that I said it--and incorrectly described sexual harassment, at the time.... But as I've explained in this blog, I learned to understand the laws better and to use the right language.... If I've left anything out, people can bring it to my attention...? (I think I'm okay?)]
{If anyone still has a question, I have a typed transcript of part of our ORHT hearing where the adjudicator acknowledged that my landlady had a romantic and/or sexual intention towards me by asking me to go to her apartment in the late evening to do some work which I'd agreed to do.... (I agreed to do the work but I was concerned about her late evening request...and there was more to the story.... She made a point of saying her daughter would be away for the night at her father's place.... There was no reason that I needed to be alone with my landlady in her apartment, in the late evening or nighttime hours, as far as I was concerned....)}
Monday, May 6, 2019
Another Donation
When the adjudicator was offended about my landlord/tenant case in 1998, it was partly because of what my landlady had told him and "evidence" she provided at the hearing.... My landlady wasn't completely honest, in my opinion, but it's true that I unintentionally did some things to offend her.... First, I'd gotten angry about the eviction matter and left her a couple phone messages when she was away.... Unfortunately, I spoke in an angry manner.... Second and third, I made some controversial comments about gay people in the messages, which I felt applied to her, and I've discussed them elsewhere in this blog and don't wish to repeat them here.... I've made an effort to apologize for any inappropriateness on my behalf....
Again, I've "explained and apologized" but I'd like to go a step further now and make amends in a practical manner.... I'd like to do something constructive and pro-active.... By the way, my landlady and I haven't been in contact with each other for many years and I wouldn't try to reach her now.... But for her sake, and for the adjudicator's, I'd like to make a donation to an organization called Pflag Canada--which is for the parents, families, and friends of lesbians and gays.... I've done some research on the Internet but am waiting to hear if I can make a donation by cheque, rather than online...? So, I'll make a note in this blog when the donation has been sent.... [If there's any problem, I'll find another gay organization to donate to...?]
As I've said before, I don't think everything was done fairly towards me but I made mistakes also and I'd like to apologize for my part in the problems. I've learned a lot about gays over the years and I'm more knowledgeable now about how to get along with them.... I hope people can forgive me?
Again, I've "explained and apologized" but I'd like to go a step further now and make amends in a practical manner.... I'd like to do something constructive and pro-active.... By the way, my landlady and I haven't been in contact with each other for many years and I wouldn't try to reach her now.... But for her sake, and for the adjudicator's, I'd like to make a donation to an organization called Pflag Canada--which is for the parents, families, and friends of lesbians and gays.... I've done some research on the Internet but am waiting to hear if I can make a donation by cheque, rather than online...? So, I'll make a note in this blog when the donation has been sent.... [If there's any problem, I'll find another gay organization to donate to...?]
As I've said before, I don't think everything was done fairly towards me but I made mistakes also and I'd like to apologize for my part in the problems. I've learned a lot about gays over the years and I'm more knowledgeable now about how to get along with them.... I hope people can forgive me?
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