This song was a true collaboration with several other writers. The “Oral Roberts University” choir recorded it. The only change I would have made was the words “Faithful to the call” and I would have had them sing “Faithful through it all” because I thought it would be more understood and have more cross over appeal.
I wrote this song, “Beyond Time” for my cousin, Lu Ann Beauchamp Dubois’ wedding. It was a collaboration with my friend, Steve Cordova, like a lot of my other songs. We wrote a bunch of them together and some were more mine and other’s more his so we just started giving each other equal credit. Again, this one is for Lu Ann.
Another one of my original songs, “Dayspring.”
Haven’t posted much here because I’ve been busy trying to move a friend to Tulsa. He is someone who has worked with me on internet projects and is looking for a steady job to help make ends meet while he continues to work towards realizing his dream as an internet guru / gaming programmer.
Of course, I’m also a contributing writer for AMERICAblog Gay, so I mostly post stories of a more unversal nature and keep the personal stuff here on Pink Panthers.
Friend, I remember when we watched fireworks light the sky
How we talked about our dreams on that Fourth of July
Now they tell the story of how we glow and fade
I’ll always have your memory the kind I’ll never trade
You’re looking down from heaven
You don’t hurt anymore
You might have lost a battle but friend you won the war
And friend, I won’t try to pretend that I won’t always miss you
And these selfish tears I cry are really not the issue
The battle is over and I know you’ve paid the cost
But I can hear you singing and I know you haven’t lost
Your looking down from heaven
You don’t hurt anymore
You might have lost a battle but friend you won the war
Your life here is over but there’s no bitter sting
‘cause when I close my eyes I still hear you singing
Friend, just one last thing before you have to go
I can’t wait to walk with you upon those streets of gold.
This is an original song of mine I wrote about twenty years ago for a friend of mine who died of AIDS. Just thought I’d share, “Friend” with my readers… and David, I can’t wait to walk with you and Tim upon those streets of gold!
I might be sharing some of my other originals, as well.
The Union School district has had to decide on whether or not to ban a book, “Buster’s Sugartime” because it depicted same sex parents. Some parents decided they wanted the book banned so their children would not be exposed to what they consider immoral behavior. Ed Payton, a school board member, addressed those of us who had written to the board in support or against their decision to retain the book in their library. The following is the correspondence I thought would be interesting to the readers:
On Fri, Jan 29, 2010 at 1:32 PM, Ed Payton wrote:
This email is being sent to everyone who communicated their opinion to me regarding the recent Union Board of Education decision about the book, ‘Buster’s Sugartime’.This process reminded me how fortunate we are at Union to have Administrators who clearly demonstrated their commitment to our students and their respect for Union parents.
I was one of three board members who voted to retain the book in our library. I did so because, after careful consideration, I did not believe it was a book advocating any illegal behavior, or particular lifestyle. Rather, it was a book that provided an opportunity for new readers to improve their reading skills, while expanding their understanding of the world around them.
I would like to correct a perception expressed by a few of you who made remarks in your email about the parents who request the book’s removal (‘homophobic’, ‘narrow-minded’, ‘censors’, etc). From my direct experience with these parents during the hearing, those criticisms do not apply. The parents were reasonable individuals, who presented their concerns in a respectful and thoughtful manner. Their concerns did not appear to emanate from a religious or political agenda, but rather from practical parenting.
They felt it inappropriate for a kindergartener to be able to check out a book which contains references to a same sex couple living in a civil union when such a union is illegal in Oklahoma. While I disagree with that position, I can still appreciate their concernn. Nothing in their presentation indicated that these individuals are homophobic, book banners or book burners. In fact, they stated that this book would be totally appropriate in any state where civil unions or gay marriages were recognized.If we are ever to move beyond the rancor and raised voices that too often accompany discussions related to this and other ‘hot-button’ issues, we must all learn the respect, civility and good manners that were exhibited by the Union Administrators and the Parents in this situation.
Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. I am more convinced than ever that the Board made the correct decision, and am equally convinced that the kindergartner in this matter is fortunate to have parents as engaged as these two.
Ed.
Ed. L. Payton
Sent: Fri, January 29, 2010 2:29:10 PM
Subject: Re: UNION BOOK DECISION
Hi Ed,First off, thanks for voting to keep the book in the Union school libraries. I’m glad that you did the right thing. Second, thank you for writing and providing those of us who could not attend the Board Meeting with insight into the thoughts behind your votes.
I agree with you wholeheartedly where you stated that we are fortunate that the Board has folks on it now who listened to students, teachers and others who commented on the item in question. A few years ago,
there is a good chance we might not be where we are today and the school district might find itself on the business end of an expensive lawsuit. I’m glad to see that we have made such progress, it gives me hope for a state that some consider hopeless.However, I’d like to point out that while the parents may indeed have presented their concerns in a professional and respectful manner, the concern they presented was indicative of a homophobic point of view. They were asking you and your fellow board members to remove from view a display of homosexuality that they found offensive for no reason other than the fact that it was homosexual in nature. That, by definition, is homophobia.
There are two types of homophobes: those who are uneducated and scream at the top of their lungs about how the sodomites must be removed from society, that they are going to hell, ad nauseum. The second group is quite educated and presents their homophobia in a much less obnoxious manner. Its the kinder, gentler homophobia and its much more dangerous because those people are smart enough to pass their homophobia off as a legitimate concern. It looks to me like the parents in this situation fall squarely into the second group.
The legality or lack thereof of same-sex unions in Oklahoma is irrelevant to the matter at hand. This is an attempt to tie homosexuality to an illegal act in an effort to distract from the issue at hand while demonizing homosexuals. Our Supreme Court has already spoken on this issue and they were quite clear. Homosexuality is not illegal and the people who practice it (regardless of whether folks believe its a choice or the way they are) are not second class citizens. They are entitled to the same rights and the same exposure in the media as everyone else, including the books found in public school libraries.
Not all viewpoints are equal and some are just plain wrong. How can one tell the difference? Simply substitute “same sex” and “homosexual” (and other similar terms) with “mixed race couple” and “African American”. If this same parent came to your Board and asked for this book to be removed because it depicted an African American and a Cacasion being together, would the parents have even been given the time of day by the District? I highly doubt that they would have.
This is how to look at something and find out whats really behind the concern. People often say one thing while doing and meaning another. Its human nature to be manipulative and use false fronts to achieve our goals in life. So were the parents in this case really worried just about protecting kids from indecent material, or making sure that their kids never learn that homosexuality exists and has a legitimate place in our society?
If you have further questions about my comments here, or the ones I filed initially, please feel free to call me anytime at 405.886.5095. As one of the thousands of homosexuals who call Oklahoma my home, I’m always happy to reach out to our elected and appointed leadership to increase understanding of and on issues that are important to me.
–
Keith Kimmel
P.O. Box 6421
Norman, OK 73070-6421“Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.” ~
James Dean (1931-1955)
“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in a flag and
carrying a cross.” ~ Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951)
“A union of government and religion tends to destroy government and to
degrade religion.” Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421, 431 (1962)
and, of course, my response:
As another gay citizen of Oklahoma, I applaud Mr. Kimmel’s words, especially:“Not all viewpoints are equal and some are just plain wrong. How can one tell the difference? Simply substitute “same sex” and “homosexual” (and other similar terms) with “mixed race couple” and “African American”. If this same parent came to your Board and asked for this book to be removed because it depicted an African American and a Cacasion being together, would the parents have even been given the time of day by the District? I highly doubt that they would have.”
Today’s 24/7 cable news media environment and their willingness to apply false equivalence to the progressive vs. conservative viewpoint has somehow taught some the wrong lesson that facts are somehow debatable. As someone who served on submarines in the Cold War to defend our constitution, I believe in protecting everyone’s right to freedom of speech and expression. That said, everyone has a right to their opinion but not to have established facts debated. Like Mr. Kimmel so rightly pointed out, the gay citizens of this nation are equal in every sense except for the fact we have not been able to successfully claim some of the rights others take for granted like full marriage equality, job protections and the ability to openly serve in our military.
Timothy Beauchamp
“Deep experience is never peaceful. “- Henry James
Slowly, but surely, the buckle of the bible belt is evolving. Whether or not they believe in Darwin.
Damage from ice storm
The house in Tulsa after we stacked all the fallen trees
another view of the fallen trees
Ice Storm Pics from 2 years ago…
We’ve been getting winter weather warnings all day about ANOTHER ice storm here in Oklahoma. Snow is one thing, but I can not stand ice because it has a tendency to knock out the power for several weeks at a time and I don’t even want to begin to think about the clean up from all the fallen trees.
After hauling hay for the horses and cattle at the ranch today, and catching up on my in box, I settled in and watched the President’s State of the Union. My take was it was a good speech, but I’m less than impressed with Obama’s first year. I heard a lot of the same things I heard in Obama’s campaign speeches, and had he not spent so much time and political capital playing footsie with Republicans, who aren’t the least bit interested in seeing him succeed, we would be in a much better position as progressives. I came to the conclusion Obama was all talk and no action, or he simply wanted desperately to be liked by those who despise him.
I’m hoping I’m just being pessimistic here, but I will believe it all when I see it. Obama brought up “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and if he moves on it and makes good on his promise then I will be the first one to celebrate. Again, I’m not going to be holding my breath. After eight years of seeing the Republican Party get every single thing they wanted, no matter how extremist the idea, I’m expecting a little more change and some more fight from the candidate who promised, “Change we can believe in.”
The ice storm is a nice analogy. The Obama Admin has been frozen in their attempt to make nice with his enemies. It has damaged his reputation and demoralized his base. I’m hoping after tonight’s speech, I start seeing a little more fire from Barack Obama, and a little less ice.
An art student fell into a $130 million dollar Picasso and RIPPED IT! The first thing I thought of when I heard this was “Mary Catherine Gallagher LIVES!”
Jan. 25 (Bloomberg) — A Picasso painting, worth more than $130 million by some estimates, was gouged on Friday at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art when a museumgoer fell into the artwork, leaving a six-inch gash.The 1904-1905 painting, “The Actor,” depicting a graceful, gaunt male figure in a dusty pink costume on stage, was hung in a second-floor gallery among a display of early Picasso artworks.
An unidentified woman attending a museum class “lost her balance” and crashed into the artwork, according to a museum statement. The woman was not injured, said Elyse Topalian, a museum spokeswoman. The painting received a vertical tear in the lower right hand corner, the statement said. “Actor” was worth about $130 million, according to a New York art dealer.
I haven’t seen Molly Shannon’s character, “Mary Catherine Gallagher” in a long while. Who knew she had become an art student in New York? Hope they get the Picasso fixed. I’m sure she said she was “Sorry!”…
I enjoyed this article as a gay man of faith. Maybe you will, too. If not then go watch Avatar! It’s a great movie. I especially identify with the first three paragraphs:
I often receive emails from folks who suggest that I am trying to destroy Christianity. Some tell me that I am just ignorant and often suggest that if I would just read the Bible I would get it right. Others believe I am an agent of the devil, and some have even suggested that I am the Anti-Christ. I must admit, sometimes my ego gets off on that one. At least it seems that I am important to someone.Almost all of these types of emails suggest that the “real issue” is that we progressives are trying to ignore the “hard part” of being a committed Christian. That usually includes the statement that we do not want to believe that there are “ rules” that we are supposed to live by that have been given to us by God. And the second related part is that we ignore the “truth that we are sinners,” and therefore believe we have no need for repentance and redemption. Of course, they almost always end with something like, “ha, ha, you are going to burn in hell.” I probably receive about three of these types of emails a week.
I used to respond to most of those but I discovered that my responses just seemed to escalate the number of exchanges and never once in the last four years have I felt that I had changed anyone’s perspective by responding.
The Conservative Supreme Court is trying to turn our country into a permanent plutocracy. The ruling invalidates part of the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law that sought to limit corporate influence.
The Supreme Court campaign finance ruling on Thursday means corporations can spend freely on political ads leading up to elections. The Thursday decision invalidates a part of 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign-finance reform law that sought to limit corporate influence.
This is why the stolen election of 2000 mattered. Had the “People’s Choice” Al Gore been able to serve as President, we wouldn’t have the current configuration of Supreme Court Justices and we wouldn’t have had this conservative judicial activism. Decisions like this is why some of us will NEVER get over the stolen election of 2000.