October 11, 2025
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Deep Something

The site for ranting and reporting by John Masters

Society

A general category for things related to our society and how we interact with one another.

Transgender SCOTUS Case Image
Courts Society Gay Issues Featured Politics 

The Supreme Court’s Skrmetti Ruling Will Harm Trans Youth

B. John 913 Views 0 Comments , , , ,

The Supreme Court’s ruling in U.S. v. Skrmetti is a direct attack on transgender youth and their families. It upholds bans on lifesaving medical care and empowers states to erase identities under the false flag of “parental rights.” Let’s be clear: this ruling will cause real harm. But trans youth are still here. They are not political pawns. And they are not alone.
Read the full article on why this ruling is unjust and what we must do next:

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Right Wingnuts Hate Groups Politics Legislature Society Gay Issues 

Guardians of Morality-Can You Say “Glass House”

B. John 858 Views 0 Comments , , , ,

Moms for Liberty wants to save your children from books, drag queens, and anything with a rainbow. But maybe they should’ve checked their own guest list before handing out “medals of moral excellence.” South Carolina State Rep. RJ May, recently honored by the group, was arrested and charged with distributing child sex abuse material, including files showing himself engaged in sex acts with underage girls. Yes, you read that right. The man Moms for Liberty hailed as a protector of children was allegedly doing the exact thing he claimed to fight.

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Featured Featured Video Places Tampa Politics Presidency Society Crack Pots 

My Take on Tampa’s No Kings Day Protest

B. John 905 Views 0 Comments , , , , ,

On June?14, 2025, Tampa’s “No Kings Day” protest unfolded under blue skies outside City Hall. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people participated, joined by coordinated protests across Tampa Bay—ranging from Largo to St.?Petersburg—where similar crowds gathered. And here is my take. I saw proof: when people stand together, young and old, across every background, authoritarian theatrics shrink. It gave me hope. Tampa spoke with its numbers and its unity. And for me, that was worth the energy, bearing the heat, being there with them. In short, I think we had a lot more energy than the Birthday Parade in D.C.

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Featured Politics Presidency Religion Society Crime Corruption Methodism Crack Pots 

The Plan Is Working: Fear, Force, and the March Toward American Authoritarianism

B. John 129 Views 0 Comments , , , , ,

Of course, it’s all a coincidence. Marines are arresting civilians in Los Angeles. ICE raids are ripping families apart. Federal troops deployed without state consent. Political opponents detained. And now, a state legislator has been murdered. All part of the new normal. Nothing to see here. It’s just another week in the great American experiment.

This is not chaos. It’s choreography. What may seem like a string of shocking, disconnected headlines is actually an authoritarian blueprint unfolding in real-time. Donald Trump’s administration is not merely pushing legal boundaries but deliberately breaking them and testing the system. Daring anyone to stop him. Spoiler: No one has.

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pentecost witness
Religion Society Gay Issues Methodism Featured Places Tampa Politics Presidency 

No Kings Day: A Stand Against Power and Injustice

B. John 858 Views 0 Comments , , , , , ,

This Saturday, people will rise across 2,000 U.S. cities, including Tampa, united in one unflinching message: “No Kings.” This is not a protest born of idle dissent. It is a fierce rebuke of President Donald Trump and a social order built on abuse of power. Flag Day plus Trump’s 79th birthday equals a military parade costing taxpayers $25–45?million. The implicit message? A cult of personality masquerading as patriotism. For United Methodists grounded in Wesleyan conviction, this is intolerable. John and Charles Wesley stood against social evil, not in quiet tones but with prophetic boldness, calling out power when it crushes the least among us. That same courage calls us now to confront policies that tear at the fabric of our communities.

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Culture Deep Thoughts Featured Politics Society Crack Pots Stoicism 

Now That You Know: A Stoic Response to Injustice During Pride Month

B. John 965 Views 0 Comments , , ,

“You may choose to look away, but you can never again say you did not know.” —William Wilberforce There are moments in life when we are confronted with a clear, morally unambiguous truth that strips away all our comfortable illusions. Wilberforce’s words aren’t just a condemnation of apathy but an indictment of complicity. Once you’ve seen injustice, silence is no longer neutral. It’s a choice. Ancient Stoics would have understood this. For all their restraint and talk of inner calm, the Stoics were not spectators. They believed in moral clarity and civic virtue. To live a good life was not to retreat from the world but to meet it head-on—with courage, justice, and integrity.

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Culture Deep Thoughts Featured Society Stoicism 

Summum Bonum: Navigating Life by the Highest Good

B. John 930 Views 0 Comments , ,

In a world that constantly shouts at us—“Buy this! Be that! Hurry up!”—It’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. New trends, metrics, or moral panics are always trying to claim your time and energy. This raises a profound question: What is truly worth living for? The pursuit of the highest good is not simple. It demands something of us—sometimes a great deal. It requires saying no when saying yes would be easier. It calls for patience when the world rewards immediate reactions. It demands courage when fear would be much more convenient. But it is also freeing. When you let go of the need to gain everyone’s approval, avoid every mistake, or secure every possible outcome, you begin to live with more peace, not because your life is perfect, but because your intent is clear.

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Harm to LGBTQ Community
Featured Politics Legislature Presidency Society Gay Issues 

How Trump-Era Policies and State Legislation Are Harming LGBTQ+ Americans

B. John 901 Views 0 Comments , , , , , ,

A recent Pew Research Center report (Feb. 2025) found that a staggering 81% of LGBTQ adults expect Trump’s policies to harm gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. Among transgender respondents, 88% expect negative effects. These fears are grounded in experience: during his first term, Trump rolled back protections for trans students, banned transgender people from military service, and allowed discrimination under the guise of religious freedom. In his second term, the pace and intensity have only increased.

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Culture Deep Thoughts Featured Religion Stoicism 

The Gift of Memento Mori

B. John 3085 Views 3 Comments , , , ,

That phrase—Memento Mori—means “remember that you must die.” It’s an old Stoic meditation, not meant to provoke dread but to awaken us… and remind us not to sleepwalk through our lives. The Stoic philosopher Seneca put it this way: “Let us prepare our minds as if we’d come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing.”

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Justia
Racism Featured Politics Congress Election Religion Society Gay Issues Hate Groups 

The Call to Justice is Urgent

B. John 1021 Views 0 Comments , , ,

Progressives stand at a critical juncture where the call for justice is louder and more urgent than ever. My faith compels me to see the injustices that surround us and act against them with conviction, guided by Christ’s example of righteous defiance in the face of oppression. While persistence is essential, there are moments when persistence alone is not enough; sometimes, our witness demands a more forceful resistance, a willingness to dismantle the systems that perpetuate inequality and cause harm actively.

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