Center of attention

I last wrote about Aaron Jackson when he bought a house next door to the nasty Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, then repainted the house in rainbow colors. He's back in the news because, during recent trip to Antarctica, he unfurled a rainbow flag and declared it was "the first LGBT-friendly continent."

All that gave the New Times of Broward and Palm Beach a chance to feature Jackson, the head of Planting Peace, and some of the other things he has done. This includes feeding the hungry in Haiti and running orphanages there and in India. It also has an update on that rainbow house. The Planting Peace board of trustees thought the rainbow house would be news for about three months. Then they could sell it and get their money back. Instead, the house has become famous, getting 150 visitors a day. It also is great for raising money. In 2013 it pulled in about 3 times the cost of the house.



Democrats are contemplating taking over the Senate in November. Several GOP senators are vulnerable. Some of those may be voted out because they are following the party line of refusing to act on Obama's nominee to the Supremes. Others are vulnerable because Trump may be at the top of the ticket.

There's one problem that is dampening Dem spirits. Money. Especially since the Koch political network intends to spend $0.9 billion by November. The Koch PACs are considering abandoning Trump (not that he'd notice) and focusing their money on House and Senate candidates.



I understand more each day about the power behind the need that many people have to feel superior to others. We call it by such things as white privilege, misogyny, racism, and homophobia. I'm learning this need is amazingly strong. It drives every power grab and act of violence.

Today's example isn't a severe one, but it does show the strength of the need.

Trump's main message is all about the white male. That's clear from the slanderous way he talks about women. Clinton's message is about inclusion. To get that point across she spends a great deal of time in minority communities. Helping those on the bottom rungs helps everyone. In contrast, helping those at the top helps only those at the top.

But lots of white men don't like Clinton. She certainly doesn't disparage them, like Trump does of women. But because Clinton doesn't focus on them they feel excluded. Hey, guys, there is a difference between being attacked by a candidate and not being a candidate's center of attention.