AMEN, AMEN, AND AMEN, MICHAEL!

As a "Kum-ba-ya-singing liberal" I hate to say part of it is our fault, but your post points that out. The US has a LONG history of supporting Middle East dictators who kept the oil flowing our way. This of course does not excuse hangining children or wearing bombs on buses, but Michael we did support the Taliban in the past (they were kooky and crazy then). We have given support to people who have kept thier fellow countrymen in abject poverty. Those actions cost and we are paying the price.

peace

Your entry, the "Price of Crude" couldn't be more spot on. As Americans we float through our daily regimens without any notion of what is happening around us, let alone globally. Nothing annoys me more than when someting happens to get more press for some reason and everyone acts like it's the first time this sort of horror has occured..Oprah is really good at picking a particular event and getting all the housewives in a tizzy...instead of raising awareness of it in the first place. That kind of shit happens daily over there, hangings are almost their versions of game shows.
Anyway it's horrible and don't count on our Boob of a president to do anything about it soon.

When I first heard about this, my mind immediately thought of Matthew Shepard. I know that was different, but all 3 were so young and their fates were the same. I voraciously read every word when the story of Matthew's attack initially appeared in the NY Times, but I am a little ashamed to admit I have avoided the stories of the hangings. I guess out of weariness more than anything else.

So thanks for putting it front and center. You wrote a very honest, nuanced piece that did not fall into "predictable" patterns. I agree our government should at least condemn the killings - imagine the official outcry if they killed a promiscuous blonde American teenage girl? So thanks for the link to the State Department, I will use it and forward it to people I know.

You defy all presumptions that porn stars are just pretty faces with big dicks. Your ability to touch on such a wide range of topics with such raw, unflinching, & honest insight is tremendously refreshing. BRAVO!

As for those hangings, the U.S. has been turning a blind eye to the inhumane, barbaric practices of the Middle East for decades because of our dependency on their oil. The day the powers that be speak out against the hanging of gays in Iran will be the day every drop of their oil is used up, and even then it's not a certainty.

your essays are so insightful .i am impressed at your compassion for the human experience

"WE do not cut people’s throats, WE do not blow up busses filled with civilians and we certainly don’t hang kids for sucking cock."

Um--yes we do. There's no public forum where it's done, but we do--and much worse. I'm not making excuses for Iran, not by a long shot--but there's no shortage of animals in this country. Knives are used in murders all the time, whether it's slitting throats or elsewhere. Kids are gunned down in schools or killed by their parents. And the phrase "hate crime" probably came about from gays being beaten or murdered because they sucked cock. Just because all of this is done within the confines of the "good ol' U.S.A." doesn't make our murder techniques any "different" than other regions of the world, IMO. The end result, saddeningly, is the same.

apparently, you can dish it but you can't take it. anyone who dare counter your irrational diatribe

You refuse to post any comment that dare counter your racist and irrational diatribes. I gave you facts, the whole facts, and nothing but the fact, but I see you're not interested in educating your mind.

You are in need of someone to feed your surpassingly unfounded ego. You racist anti-semitic bloody cunt.

Absolutely! Thank you, Michael, for writing these words.

Dammit Michael, get out of my head! Why do you always seem to say what I'm thinking? I wish to god you could run for president! Who cares if you even had a chance in hell to win, just think of all the crap that would finally be out in an open forum and in the face of every religious fanatic and backwoods, relative marrying asshole who put "Dubayah" back in control for 4 more years.

I adore the way you make no apologies for your views and stand by your beliefs...
Keep it up!

hugz and a HUGE smooch,
Gym

They were not merely hung for just being gay. They were also accused of sexually molesting a little boy. However, being hanged is not the punishment that I would do, but I'm not the gov't of Iran, nor do I make their rules. They truly are barbaric and behind in the times, but it's not up for us to decide what they should or should not be doing. That's how we got into the Iraq mess...Deciding what we (the u.s.) thought was best for the people....

SPOT ON MICHAEL...ITS ONE THING THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION COMPLETELY IGNORE HUMAN RIGHTS FOR THE ALLMIGHT LIQUID GOLD BUT ARE WE THAT SURPRISED THAT THE SO CALLED PARTY OF THE "CARING" DO EXACTLY THE SAME FOR PRETTY MUCH THE SAME REASON. SOMETIMES YOU WONDER WHO REALLY STANDS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, ITHINK YOU FOLLOW THE BOTTOM LINE THE MONEY TRAIL. JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT GAY RIGHTS AND FREEDOM OF BEING YOURSELF, YOU SEE THIS THAT BRINGS BACK THE MOVEMENT TO STEP ONE.

First: "Disgusted" What in the hell are you talking about? Speaking of irrational, have you had your meds today? Just so you know, if you're calling Michael an anti-semite, maybe you'd want to know he's jewish, which would make your statement a bit "irrational". Further more, there is no need for name calling.

Second: "David"...point well taken and very true, however I think what Michael was referring to is that those are private, personal, and mostly isolated incidents, and not for the "cause". These things are happening on a much larger scale in the middle east and often supported by the powers that be over there. I think that's what makes them different from the everyday similar events here in the US.

Third: "Roy" This is a group that will lie, cheat, and kill. Would you really put it past them to create the story of child molestation in order to justify and further condemn the two boys?

Fourth: "James" Liberal or not. There is no justification in saying we brought this on. Supporting them in the early 80s is not just cause to attack us now. If there were anyway this were to be our own fault, it would be because we are entirely too leniant with groups who slap us in the face.

Fifth: "Richard" I agree all three cases are very sad, but there is still a magor difference between Matthew and what happened here. One was a personal and private issue while one was a public and supported act, not much unlike the witch hunts or McArthyism.

And Sixth: I will vote for Michael for president any day as long as I get to be part of the cabinet. I would like to be VP, but I'm sure he has someone in mind.

Lots of love,
Mike

Michael Lucas is the epitome of the New Russian community in New York City.

What an ignorant and superficial comment. And apparently this is even typical of the way even "liberal" Americans think, it's just two sides of the same coin. Hopefully the rest of the civilized world is starting to notice this and react accordingly.