Bandit58
Sir's wonder woman
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2002
- Posts
- 8,121
This was posted on one of the Yahoo groups I'm a member of, and I thought it was worthy of bringing to people's attention, especially those of you who live in the US.
MasT Keynote Speech July 25, 2005, Washington, DC
A Call to Action; Protect our chosen way of life.
given by Viola Johnson ©
Reprinted with permission.
I want to begin by saying thank you to Master Taino and the
committee who has invited me to speak to you all for a few minutes
this evening. I am honored and privileged to be allowed to share a
few of my thoughts with this very special group who lives, loves,
and understands the Master slave lifestyle. Next, I want to
apologize in advance for the soapbox I'm about to climb on, but I
think the issues that I want to bring to your attention are
important to this esteemed Master slave gathering.
On April 2nd of this year there was a post on S/M act. I glanced at
the post briefly. It began "Please write to your representative
about this pending legislation." I only skimmed the adjacent lines
and was about to pass it over for the next post on the list. Then I
noticed the sender. Seeing the email address of Spencer Bergstedt
made me go back for a closer review. Spence was asking those
who perused his post, to write their representatives regarding
legislation that would allow the state of Texas to nullify partnership agreements, civil unions, and contracts between legal strangers. These contracts could conceivably include wills, powers of attorney and health care proxies. I would have assumed that this was just another soon to be overturned Texas Gay Bashing Bill had it not been for the part about "legal strangers" whom the law defines as two or more people not bound by familial ties. I actually had to mull the email over for a few minutes before writing back to the list asking if I had interpreted the email correctly. After all, the government *could not possibly* legislate who I leave my estate to?? Could they??
Spencer's answer surprised me because it included the phrase
"much like similar legislation passed in Virginia." Passed?!?!?!
The hair on the back of my neck went up, and righteous anger sent
me on a research quest. I found the website that contained the bills.
As I was reading House Joint Resolutions #6 and 19, all I could think
was, "who were this self righteous sons of bitches who were
attacking not just my wedding band but my collar, and all that it
stands for?"
Well, one was Robert Talton, whose hate mongering and gay
bashing is so known in the state of Texas that his bill, Resolution 6,
died in committee. However, House Joint Resolution 19, penned by
Warren Chisum and 74 of his colleagues, actually passed the 79th
session of the legislature and that bill is now awaiting a vote by the
citizens of the state of Texas. Chisum defended his love and
marriage bill "calling it a biblical issue".
I dont know about you all, but I'm sick of right winged, ultra
conservative (probably flaccid, impotent) men using the Bible as a
justification for anything they see as a threat to their point of
view. They babble about homosexuality being a sin but choose to
ignore the fact that the sin of adultery carries the same penalty,
so does mixing fabrics for that matter, Mr. Silk tie with your
taxpayer funded linen shirt and designer suit.
Oops, that was my inside voice, sorry.
Well, I've got a few things to say to you Mr. Chisum, and to your
colleagues; "I, we, have the right to love the way we choose."
You wanna shake the Bible at me?! get this.
Exodus chapt. 21 V. 5 and 6 say "But if a slave declares, "I love
my master, my wife and my children, I do not wish to go free". His
master shall take him unto G-d, he shall take him to the door or to
the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl: and
he shall serve him forever." Deuteronomy chapt. 15 v. 16 and 17
repeat basically the same thing, "you will take the awl and put it
in his ear into the door, and he will be your slave forever. Also
with your female slave you shall do this."
Now Mr. Chisum and all 74 of your buddies: "take him unto G-d?"
Sounds like G-d holds my relationship in high moral regard. If my
Owner chooses to honor and acknowledge to the world our
relationship, our special marriage if you will, by an earring in my
ear or a collar around my neck, it represents our love. And it is
our love, our lives, and our relationship, Mr. Chisum, NOT YOURS!!!
How dare you try to manipulate the law because we don't fit your
standards of what love and marriage should be.
Let me take a breath before I go on. Only half of this tirade is
aimed at the right wing. I still have a few questions that need to
be answered, and by many of us right here. You don't have to be at a
tribal gathering to hear stories of events that have been plagued by
the CWFA or of master slave couples who have had problems with
____________. You fill in the blank. So my next question is
directed to my community. What are we doing to protect what we
love? G-d may not be able to save us from these legislative
lunatics puppeteered by right winged might and money, but that
doesn't make us helpless, unless we want to be.
It begins by taking a stand, by putting pen to paper, stepping
around our anonymity and doing what Spencer said we should do,
write our representatives. Better yet, galvanize our numbers and
our finances to get these idiots out of office. But until then, what?
Mistresses and Masters, what are you doing to guard the slave that
stands by your side? What steps have you taken to provide for the
property that you valued enough to collar? If that slave lives with
you and work outside of the home, have you put aside a small
portion of their earnings, built them a little nest egg in case
something happens to them, or to you? If you want more information on how to do that; ask Glenda Rider. She will be happy to help you.
What provisions are in place to protect the collar, and all that it
stands for, from infringing family members who don't have a clue or
a care about how important that slave / submissive / boy is in your
life or what the two of you have built together? Is your slave in
your will? If not, why not? And if you haven't done the paperwork
yet, what are you waiting for?
If you trust that slave to serve when you're healthy, why not sign a
power of attorney so that they can also serve you when you are not.
And while you're at it, both parties need to sign living wills. If
Mistress and slave have built a life and acquired property together
protect those things with a trust. If the rich can shelter their
assets, why shouldn't we use the same tools to shield our most
valued asset, our very way of life.
Each of us who love the Master / slave lifestyle must Kevlar coat
the collar in his or her own way, or we may soon find out that House
Joint Resolutions 6 and 19 in Texas and similar resolutions in
Virginia have spread to other parts of the country, and all we love
has been legislated out of existence. Larry Kramer, the founder of
Act Up, says "We know who the enemy is and we just stand there
letting them shoot us over and over again." For Owner and slave,
it is time to use the law, the NCSF, and the legal minds of our
community for protection. Not after the fact, but before. The
proactive responsibility is ours as individuals and as a community.
We must take time from the playroom and sit down for an hour or
two with the paperwork. Filling out the forms doesn't take a lot of
time really. We as a community may soon find that the power of the
will, not the whip is the most powerful toy in our toybag.
I am not a lawyer, I don't know the nuances and subtleties of law
that Master Roy Hendricks, Spencer Bergstedt or Slave Marsha do.
I do know however, that if any of us go to them, or any of the fine
lawyers in this community (And by the way where are you? Lawyers
and paralegals please hold up your hands) whoever we sit down
with will help put legal protections around our way of life. In this
day and age of Bush and a slanted Supreme Court, the symbol of my
lifestyle will never be respected, no matter what G-d says. But there
is a very full portfolio of paperwork sitting in my lawyers office that
so far, no state or federal court can destroy.
So: you know when these so and so's get my collar?
If, and only if my Owner, Mistress Victoria or my husband
Jill Carter lets them take it off of my cold dead neck!!!!!
All of us here need to be able to say the same.
Vi Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a subject that is very important to me. The more people who
hear it, the more might go and get the paperwork done. Please feel
free to post the speech where you think it will be effective.
Vi Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bio:
Leather activist, author, educator, Leather historian and vampire,
Viola Johnson has been out of the Leather closet for three decades.
She has authored two books published by Mystic Rose Press:
"To Love, To Obey, To Serve: Diary of an Old Guard Slave" and
"Dhampir, Child of the Blood".
Her Leather activism is legendary and has earned her numerous awards
and
commendations including two Lifetime Achievement Awards for recognition
of her work within the BDSM scene.
Her current passion is the "Welcome Home" corporation which is in the
process of developing a small planned community for Leather/BDSM folks
to live in and eventually retire to.
Viola is the devoted wife of Jill Carter and the slave of Mistress
Victoria.
MasT Keynote Speech July 25, 2005, Washington, DC
A Call to Action; Protect our chosen way of life.
given by Viola Johnson ©
Reprinted with permission.
I want to begin by saying thank you to Master Taino and the
committee who has invited me to speak to you all for a few minutes
this evening. I am honored and privileged to be allowed to share a
few of my thoughts with this very special group who lives, loves,
and understands the Master slave lifestyle. Next, I want to
apologize in advance for the soapbox I'm about to climb on, but I
think the issues that I want to bring to your attention are
important to this esteemed Master slave gathering.
On April 2nd of this year there was a post on S/M act. I glanced at
the post briefly. It began "Please write to your representative
about this pending legislation." I only skimmed the adjacent lines
and was about to pass it over for the next post on the list. Then I
noticed the sender. Seeing the email address of Spencer Bergstedt
made me go back for a closer review. Spence was asking those
who perused his post, to write their representatives regarding
legislation that would allow the state of Texas to nullify partnership agreements, civil unions, and contracts between legal strangers. These contracts could conceivably include wills, powers of attorney and health care proxies. I would have assumed that this was just another soon to be overturned Texas Gay Bashing Bill had it not been for the part about "legal strangers" whom the law defines as two or more people not bound by familial ties. I actually had to mull the email over for a few minutes before writing back to the list asking if I had interpreted the email correctly. After all, the government *could not possibly* legislate who I leave my estate to?? Could they??
Spencer's answer surprised me because it included the phrase
"much like similar legislation passed in Virginia." Passed?!?!?!
The hair on the back of my neck went up, and righteous anger sent
me on a research quest. I found the website that contained the bills.
As I was reading House Joint Resolutions #6 and 19, all I could think
was, "who were this self righteous sons of bitches who were
attacking not just my wedding band but my collar, and all that it
stands for?"
Well, one was Robert Talton, whose hate mongering and gay
bashing is so known in the state of Texas that his bill, Resolution 6,
died in committee. However, House Joint Resolution 19, penned by
Warren Chisum and 74 of his colleagues, actually passed the 79th
session of the legislature and that bill is now awaiting a vote by the
citizens of the state of Texas. Chisum defended his love and
marriage bill "calling it a biblical issue".
I dont know about you all, but I'm sick of right winged, ultra
conservative (probably flaccid, impotent) men using the Bible as a
justification for anything they see as a threat to their point of
view. They babble about homosexuality being a sin but choose to
ignore the fact that the sin of adultery carries the same penalty,
so does mixing fabrics for that matter, Mr. Silk tie with your
taxpayer funded linen shirt and designer suit.
Oops, that was my inside voice, sorry.
Well, I've got a few things to say to you Mr. Chisum, and to your
colleagues; "I, we, have the right to love the way we choose."
You wanna shake the Bible at me?! get this.
Exodus chapt. 21 V. 5 and 6 say "But if a slave declares, "I love
my master, my wife and my children, I do not wish to go free". His
master shall take him unto G-d, he shall take him to the door or to
the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl: and
he shall serve him forever." Deuteronomy chapt. 15 v. 16 and 17
repeat basically the same thing, "you will take the awl and put it
in his ear into the door, and he will be your slave forever. Also
with your female slave you shall do this."
Now Mr. Chisum and all 74 of your buddies: "take him unto G-d?"
Sounds like G-d holds my relationship in high moral regard. If my
Owner chooses to honor and acknowledge to the world our
relationship, our special marriage if you will, by an earring in my
ear or a collar around my neck, it represents our love. And it is
our love, our lives, and our relationship, Mr. Chisum, NOT YOURS!!!
How dare you try to manipulate the law because we don't fit your
standards of what love and marriage should be.
Let me take a breath before I go on. Only half of this tirade is
aimed at the right wing. I still have a few questions that need to
be answered, and by many of us right here. You don't have to be at a
tribal gathering to hear stories of events that have been plagued by
the CWFA or of master slave couples who have had problems with
____________. You fill in the blank. So my next question is
directed to my community. What are we doing to protect what we
love? G-d may not be able to save us from these legislative
lunatics puppeteered by right winged might and money, but that
doesn't make us helpless, unless we want to be.
It begins by taking a stand, by putting pen to paper, stepping
around our anonymity and doing what Spencer said we should do,
write our representatives. Better yet, galvanize our numbers and
our finances to get these idiots out of office. But until then, what?
Mistresses and Masters, what are you doing to guard the slave that
stands by your side? What steps have you taken to provide for the
property that you valued enough to collar? If that slave lives with
you and work outside of the home, have you put aside a small
portion of their earnings, built them a little nest egg in case
something happens to them, or to you? If you want more information on how to do that; ask Glenda Rider. She will be happy to help you.
What provisions are in place to protect the collar, and all that it
stands for, from infringing family members who don't have a clue or
a care about how important that slave / submissive / boy is in your
life or what the two of you have built together? Is your slave in
your will? If not, why not? And if you haven't done the paperwork
yet, what are you waiting for?
If you trust that slave to serve when you're healthy, why not sign a
power of attorney so that they can also serve you when you are not.
And while you're at it, both parties need to sign living wills. If
Mistress and slave have built a life and acquired property together
protect those things with a trust. If the rich can shelter their
assets, why shouldn't we use the same tools to shield our most
valued asset, our very way of life.
Each of us who love the Master / slave lifestyle must Kevlar coat
the collar in his or her own way, or we may soon find out that House
Joint Resolutions 6 and 19 in Texas and similar resolutions in
Virginia have spread to other parts of the country, and all we love
has been legislated out of existence. Larry Kramer, the founder of
Act Up, says "We know who the enemy is and we just stand there
letting them shoot us over and over again." For Owner and slave,
it is time to use the law, the NCSF, and the legal minds of our
community for protection. Not after the fact, but before. The
proactive responsibility is ours as individuals and as a community.
We must take time from the playroom and sit down for an hour or
two with the paperwork. Filling out the forms doesn't take a lot of
time really. We as a community may soon find that the power of the
will, not the whip is the most powerful toy in our toybag.
I am not a lawyer, I don't know the nuances and subtleties of law
that Master Roy Hendricks, Spencer Bergstedt or Slave Marsha do.
I do know however, that if any of us go to them, or any of the fine
lawyers in this community (And by the way where are you? Lawyers
and paralegals please hold up your hands) whoever we sit down
with will help put legal protections around our way of life. In this
day and age of Bush and a slanted Supreme Court, the symbol of my
lifestyle will never be respected, no matter what G-d says. But there
is a very full portfolio of paperwork sitting in my lawyers office that
so far, no state or federal court can destroy.
So: you know when these so and so's get my collar?
If, and only if my Owner, Mistress Victoria or my husband
Jill Carter lets them take it off of my cold dead neck!!!!!
All of us here need to be able to say the same.
Vi Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a subject that is very important to me. The more people who
hear it, the more might go and get the paperwork done. Please feel
free to post the speech where you think it will be effective.
Vi Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bio:
Leather activist, author, educator, Leather historian and vampire,
Viola Johnson has been out of the Leather closet for three decades.
She has authored two books published by Mystic Rose Press:
"To Love, To Obey, To Serve: Diary of an Old Guard Slave" and
"Dhampir, Child of the Blood".
Her Leather activism is legendary and has earned her numerous awards
and
commendations including two Lifetime Achievement Awards for recognition
of her work within the BDSM scene.
Her current passion is the "Welcome Home" corporation which is in the
process of developing a small planned community for Leather/BDSM folks
to live in and eventually retire to.
Viola is the devoted wife of Jill Carter and the slave of Mistress
Victoria.
