Monday, November 10, 2008
Why don't you bring that little protest over here
As we have seen over the last several years the Christian church is very good at playing the victim. While the Mormon church may be tiring of the attention, other churches are trying to get some. A Dallas church advertised a sermon on "Gay is Not OK" and when that drew protesters, they announced the next week's sermon would be, "What to Say to a Gay Person." And when that draws protests they will claim, "See, I told you. Gays are trying to destroy Christianity." Churches can choose the venue, put their own cameras on the protesters, and dub in the spin of their choice. A response to that is, "So? They're doing that anyway." Perhaps we can turn the debate a bit and start talking about how their theology isn't really Christian.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Tired dogmas
The Detroit Free Press on Sundays has a page they title Extra Points. They print a half-dozen or so quotes from a variety of sources -- public figures, pundits in other papers and magazines -- about current topics. There are a couple that appeared today:
That one is by Bill Ayers, the guy Palin was using to tar Obama as a terrorist. If you haven't followed that news, Ayers was a '60 radical (as the Freep calls him) and is now a college professor.
Then…
Since I've seen several articles lately about the GOP losing because it wasn't conservative enough and that it should champion the social conservative goals of banning abortion and gays (since that was an issue that won), it is a breath of fresh air that someone in the GOP agrees their ideas are bankrupt and they need to overhaul what they stand for.
Then I saw who wrote it: Thaddeus McCotter, my district's GOP representative to the US House who just won re-election by about 55%, and who I've described in the past as a Bush lapdog. I hear my irony meter going off.
Pal around together? What does that mean? Share a milkshake with two straws?
That one is by Bill Ayers, the guy Palin was using to tar Obama as a terrorist. If you haven't followed that news, Ayers was a '60 radical (as the Freep calls him) and is now a college professor.
Then…
Welcome to "Republican Rock Bottom."
Possessed of no vision, not principle, no purpose, and no appeal, we deserved our fate.
Now seize freedom!
Finally, we are divorced from self-deceits. Dead is the self-indulgent imbecility of "rebranding" -- as if the Republican Party was a corporate product to be repackaged, not a transformational political movement to be led. Despite what the media will tell you, and what so-called "conservative leaders" will discuss ad nauseam during "secret" meetings, this situation is not a crisis. It is an opportunity. Today, we are … unbound by the tired dogmas of the past; and free to think and act anew. (ellipses in the original)
Since I've seen several articles lately about the GOP losing because it wasn't conservative enough and that it should champion the social conservative goals of banning abortion and gays (since that was an issue that won), it is a breath of fresh air that someone in the GOP agrees their ideas are bankrupt and they need to overhaul what they stand for.
Then I saw who wrote it: Thaddeus McCotter, my district's GOP representative to the US House who just won re-election by about 55%, and who I've described in the past as a Bush lapdog. I hear my irony meter going off.
The national nightmare will be over soon
I wrote on election day about how Bush is working to poop on Obama by issuing lots of executive orders on his way out the door. Not to worry (at least not much). A team of four dozen advisors have been working for months to identify what actions Bush took that Obama could quickly reverse. They have a list of 200 orders in the area of climate change, stem cell research, reproductive rights, and lots of other issues. They are particularly looking for orders that were issued for overtly partisan reasons. They're also keeping tabs on the orders Bush will issue between now and Inauguration Day and adding them to their list. Many of these do not require congressional votes. The ones that do are being prioritized for action.
Another Episcopal splinter
Another diocese breaks away from the Episcopal Church, this one in Quincy, Ill. The next one likely to split is Fort Worth. They follow San Joaquin, Calif. and Pittsburgh. It isn't just gays. These four also refuse to ordain women. There probably won't be any more after Fort Worth.
Still ruminating about the anti-gay vote
Protests in Calif. of the gay marriage ban continue -- 13,000 in Los Angeles, 10,000 in San Diego, and in many other cities.
An appropriate cartoon by Tom Toles:
That 70% rate at which blacks voted for the Calif. gay marriage ban is getting a lot of press (it appeared in the Detroit Free Press today) is from one exit poll and has all kinds of dubious methodology issues. So stop turning a homophobia problem into a race problem! We don't need to compound our problems other than to acknowledge gay leaders need to reach out to the black community.
Please pardon a moment of schadenfreude and irony. Mormon temples are the only place where Mormons can marry and stay true to their religion. When protesters gather outside the temple, as they have been doing in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, the temple doors are closed -- and couples can't get married.
An appropriate cartoon by Tom Toles:
That 70% rate at which blacks voted for the Calif. gay marriage ban is getting a lot of press (it appeared in the Detroit Free Press today) is from one exit poll and has all kinds of dubious methodology issues. So stop turning a homophobia problem into a race problem! We don't need to compound our problems other than to acknowledge gay leaders need to reach out to the black community.
Please pardon a moment of schadenfreude and irony. Mormon temples are the only place where Mormons can marry and stay true to their religion. When protesters gather outside the temple, as they have been doing in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, the temple doors are closed -- and couples can't get married.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Mapping the election
Look at a map of which states went for Obama and which for McCain and it doesn't quite make sense that Obama won. The same guy who made the Atlas of the Real World (which I mentioned before) has added his map stretching to resize the states by population and electoral votes, then does it by counties. The last few images also shade counties by their percentage of Dem and GOP votes. For the mathematically inclined among us here is an FAQ, including an explanation of how the maps were created (I understand the basic concept and some of the titles of the equations are familiar -- I'll leave it at that). The author studies complex systems.
Bad Rep? No Sweat
Pundits (who apparently have a stake in the issue) are already saying such things as Bush's reputation will improve once we get some historical distance. I mean, sheesh, the man was so unlucky. There was 9/11, Katrina, and the financial mess. Cut the guy some slack! Um, sorry. People aren't upset with the hurricane, but the aftermath. The policies of Bush and his cronies caused the financial mess. And the Iraq War was the wrong response to 9/11. But in the same way Reagan, who left with low approval, has had his reputation burnished by those who liked his policies there are those who want Bush's policies perpetuated. And many of those people control media outlets. That means we have to tell our own stories about our view of this guy.
The Great Repudiation
A Newsweek feature from a few weeks ago talked about how America is a center-right country and wondered how Obama might struggle to get his agenda passed. There was, of course, a rebuttal within the magazine. But from who was making the claim that American is center-right -- a slew or ultra-right pundits -- one wonders if Newsweek was taken for a ride. In addition to the election being for hope, it was also a repudiation of conservatism, both in government and politics. In government conservatism gave us: overboard deregulation and its disastrous consequences in banking and food safety, invading nations under false pretenses, inability to deal with Katrina, and spying on its own citizens. In politics conservatism gave is divide and conquer through fear, perfected and in use by Nixon and culminating in a crude attempt to portray Obama as a Muslim terrorist. This time it didn't work and usually backfired. If Obama's presidency is successful we may finally get rid of conservative government and politics.
Vilified and harassed
The Mormons and, to a lesser extent, the Catholic Church, are miffed at the strength of the protests now aimed in their direction. The Mormons are even claiming it is wrong to criticize the church for taking part in the democratic process. Wrong answer. Yes, you have the right of free speech (though we wish you wouldn't lie so much when you speak), but free speech does not mean you can't be criticized. That is merely free speech on our side. And we are going to do that. Especially after such nonsense as this, coming from the Mormon church:
Sorry guys, what you spouted over the last two months was nothing but erroneous information that vilified and harassed gays. You deserve what's coming at you.
But that little bit of criticism isn't going to stop either the Mormons or Catholics. The next target probably won't be North Carolina (as was suggested a couple days ago) even if they might be ripe for the picking. There are a couple states that are more urgent: New York (where the Gov. is in favor and a marriage bill has passed the state assembly) and New Jersey, where Domestic Partnerships are legal and lots of people (not just gays) recognize that DPs fall short of equal protection. The coalition that brought the ban to Calif. is ready to use the same lies again. You have been warned.
Not only are the Fundies gloating over their wins against gays, they are puffing out chests on the abortion front too, even though the abortion ban failed in South Dakota and the "fetus citizen" proposal failed in Colorado. An organization named Personhood USA wants to copy the Colo. effort in the 17 states that have citizen amendment initiatives. Michigan is one of them. In addition to attempting to ban abortion, a fetus citizen leads to some legal tangles: Is a miscarriage to be treated as manslaughter? If the fetus is unwanted can it be convicted of trespassing? I should update an opinion from a couple days ago: A federal Supremes ruling enabling gay marriage will not slow down the attempts to harass gays with laws, at least not until a couple generations have passed on.
In the meantime news that the black population voted for the Calif. ban at a rate of 70% while most other ethnic groups (including whites) voted for it at a 52% rate (I think). This is, of course, causing all kinds of racial angst by gay groups, which are mostly white, even though the higher percentage of blacks would have made little difference in the outcome. The supporters of the ban were clearly conservative churches, most of which are white, so why are blacks being tarred? The anti-gay forces are gleefully watching the split and strategizing about how they might exploit it. Ouch!
A ray of sunshine: Maine adopted DPs in 2004 and, again, there is growing recognition that more protections are needed. Equality Maine has workers outside 100 polling places hoping to get 10,000 signatures in support of gay marriage. They got that count by noon, then had to scramble for more cards or just anything to write on. By the end of the day they had over 33,000 signatures. This doesn't appear a step in getting gay marriage on the ballot, only to tell legislators how much support there is. Even so, Equality Maine -- mindful of Calif. etc. -- will be working to make sure the hearts and minds of the state are ready to follow.
Another ray: Sweden will likely get gender neutral marriage by next May. They are aiming for "gender neutral" because that's the term that will get past of one of the government's coalition parties.
Once again, we call on those involved in the debate over same-sex marriage to act in a spirit of mutual respect and civility towards each other. No one on either side of the question should be vilified, harassed or subject to erroneous information.
Sorry guys, what you spouted over the last two months was nothing but erroneous information that vilified and harassed gays. You deserve what's coming at you.
But that little bit of criticism isn't going to stop either the Mormons or Catholics. The next target probably won't be North Carolina (as was suggested a couple days ago) even if they might be ripe for the picking. There are a couple states that are more urgent: New York (where the Gov. is in favor and a marriage bill has passed the state assembly) and New Jersey, where Domestic Partnerships are legal and lots of people (not just gays) recognize that DPs fall short of equal protection. The coalition that brought the ban to Calif. is ready to use the same lies again. You have been warned.
Not only are the Fundies gloating over their wins against gays, they are puffing out chests on the abortion front too, even though the abortion ban failed in South Dakota and the "fetus citizen" proposal failed in Colorado. An organization named Personhood USA wants to copy the Colo. effort in the 17 states that have citizen amendment initiatives. Michigan is one of them. In addition to attempting to ban abortion, a fetus citizen leads to some legal tangles: Is a miscarriage to be treated as manslaughter? If the fetus is unwanted can it be convicted of trespassing? I should update an opinion from a couple days ago: A federal Supremes ruling enabling gay marriage will not slow down the attempts to harass gays with laws, at least not until a couple generations have passed on.
In the meantime news that the black population voted for the Calif. ban at a rate of 70% while most other ethnic groups (including whites) voted for it at a 52% rate (I think). This is, of course, causing all kinds of racial angst by gay groups, which are mostly white, even though the higher percentage of blacks would have made little difference in the outcome. The supporters of the ban were clearly conservative churches, most of which are white, so why are blacks being tarred? The anti-gay forces are gleefully watching the split and strategizing about how they might exploit it. Ouch!
A ray of sunshine: Maine adopted DPs in 2004 and, again, there is growing recognition that more protections are needed. Equality Maine has workers outside 100 polling places hoping to get 10,000 signatures in support of gay marriage. They got that count by noon, then had to scramble for more cards or just anything to write on. By the end of the day they had over 33,000 signatures. This doesn't appear a step in getting gay marriage on the ballot, only to tell legislators how much support there is. Even so, Equality Maine -- mindful of Calif. etc. -- will be working to make sure the hearts and minds of the state are ready to follow.
Another ray: Sweden will likely get gender neutral marriage by next May. They are aiming for "gender neutral" because that's the term that will get past of one of the government's coalition parties.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Last acceptable bigotry
A year ago I bought the book Shaping Sanctuary: Proclaiming God's Grace in an Inclusive Church, edited by Kelly Turney. I was reminded I should take it off my bookshelf and at least look in it when the newsletter from Reconciling Ministries Network suggested it as an important resource for helping a congregation become more tolerant of the different. It has contributions from a large number of people of examples of every aspect of a service. It even includes order of worship for World AIDS Day, those who have died of AIDS, same-sex commitment ceremonies, and even ceremonies for changing a name after switching genders.
One of the introductory sermons talks about the last acceptable bigotry. The sermon is by Bishop Paul Wennes Egertson and includes this excerpt from an anonymous high school student in Massachusetts, as reported in the Winter 1999 issue of Open Hands.
One of the introductory sermons talks about the last acceptable bigotry. The sermon is by Bishop Paul Wennes Egertson and includes this excerpt from an anonymous high school student in Massachusetts, as reported in the Winter 1999 issue of Open Hands.
Nobody tells Latino kids in the high school that nobody cares if they're Hispanic as long as they keep it to themselves. Jewish kids aren't told that they're sinners and they could change into Christian if they wanted to. People don't tell Black kids they should put up with racism because they've come so far from when they were slaves. They don't have to defend why there is a Black History Month, or why people want Black studies included in the curriculum. People don't say, "That's so Korean!" when they mean something is stupid or weird. People don't tell disabled kids that the community isn't ready to defend their equal rights and inclusion yet. You never hear anyone argue that breast cancer is God's way of killing off women, or that it's a good thing. If a teacher hears anyone use a slang insult for a Chinese kids, they jump on it. When foreign exchange students ask teachers about dating in school, they aren't sent to the guidance counselor.
But every day in the high school I hear its okay if I'm gay so long as I stay in the closet, and that I'm an abomination against God, that I can change if I want to, and that people like me shouldn't be taught about in school. I'm told that I should be satisfied because our school is far better than it used to be, and that I shouldn't push for my equal rights and inclusion because the community isn't ready yet. I hear, "That's so Gay!," all the time, and I hear that AIDS is my punishment for being who I am, and I hear the word faggot all the time. It’s hard not to walk around angry all the time.
More on the hangover
We've now racked up an 2-32 record in our attempt to push gay marriage through the courts. Shouldn't we try something different? Two big issues: (1) We've been pushing for court remedies without preparing the hearts and minds of the general populace. (2) We claim that we're entitled to marriage and anyone who disagrees with us is a bigot. Now about half of those who oppose us really are bigots, but the rest need to be educated about marriage, not bludgeoned over discrimination. Yes, there are similarities with black rights, but Martin Luther King was a persuader, not a litigator. One of the 55 commenters to this pose replied that some of the advances blacks won was through litigation. Others disputed this basic premise or complained some more about how poorly the gay side of the campaign was run.
Here's another report on protests in Calif. The item of interest is a letter written to the editor of the Salt Lake City Tribune and accepted for publication:
On the pragmatic side, what's next? Obama has stressed repeal of DOMA, but he doesn't seem to be that much of a stalwart gay supporter and the passage of 3 marriage amendments may convince him (or lots of congresscritters) to go slowly. DOMA has two parts: tell states they don't have to honor gay marriages from other states and banning gay marriage recognition at the federal level. With 30 states with constitutional bans, will a repeal of the first part pass? Very unlikely. Repealing the second part may convince a few more New England states to offer marriage (or at least convert domestic partnerships to marriage), but doesn't do much in 30 states. Perhaps the feds can extend marriage benefits to DPs or even create a federal DP system (while leaving DOMA intact). Alas, this might delay full marriage even more. The most likely scenario would be to grant marriage-like benefits on a piecemeal basis -- partner immigration, social security benefits -- which could affect gays no matter which state they live in. But we're still second class citizens.
More likely we'll see movement on Employment Non-Discrimination, Hate Crimes laws, repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell, rescinding the HIV travel ban (Bush signed it into law, then ignored it), reality based sex education.
As for overturning Calif.'s ban, here's a proposal: It takes less than 700,000 signatures to get a proposal on the ballot. With good voter lists from gay organizations getting these signatures should cost less than a million. So, on every statewide election get a repeal of the ban on the ballot. Keep at it until it passes. Spend minimally to defend it, though don't confine spending to the campaign season and put the anti-gay forces on the defensive. Once people deny gays for the 5th or 10th time they just might change their vote. And even then you've spent less than the $35 million gays spent defending this one. And it might drain our opponents wallets. Yes, there are problems: Minimal defense may mean lopsided votes, which could get discouraging. Voters may get irritated at repeatedly voting on the same thing. And we might polarize the debate. Another idea is to alternate the gay marriage issue with such things as taxing churches that get involved in politics or stressing the separation of church and state. The end of this link has the story by Regan DuCasse who was upset with a black bishop who said, "now that the people have voted twice, these gay people in the streets need to suck it up." That prompted a lengthy phone call to the bishop, who couldn't see his hypocrisy.
The New York governor supports gay marriage. The state Assembly approved it by a wide margin. The state senate, controlled by the GOP refused to vote on it. But the senate now has a Democrat majority. Start celebrating? Um… Four Dem senators are backing GOP leadership because they are social conservatives and don't want to give gay marriage an opening.
Here's another report on protests in Calif. The item of interest is a letter written to the editor of the Salt Lake City Tribune and accepted for publication:
Dear editor,
I find it tragic and more than sad that after the Mormon church declared an outright vicious war against loving, committed same sex couples, utilizing hate, lies and false scare tactics, they now want people to treat them with "civility, with respect and with love." Mormons should practice the behavior that they want to receive in return. As I was taught, live the "golden rule". Obviously, they did not learn the same lesson. Mormons exhibited behavior 180 degrees apart from civility, respect and love. They deserve none of the three.
There are consequences to vile actions as exhibited recently by Mormon and other supporters of Proposition 8 and I am afraid that the Mormons are about to find out what some of these are.
On the pragmatic side, what's next? Obama has stressed repeal of DOMA, but he doesn't seem to be that much of a stalwart gay supporter and the passage of 3 marriage amendments may convince him (or lots of congresscritters) to go slowly. DOMA has two parts: tell states they don't have to honor gay marriages from other states and banning gay marriage recognition at the federal level. With 30 states with constitutional bans, will a repeal of the first part pass? Very unlikely. Repealing the second part may convince a few more New England states to offer marriage (or at least convert domestic partnerships to marriage), but doesn't do much in 30 states. Perhaps the feds can extend marriage benefits to DPs or even create a federal DP system (while leaving DOMA intact). Alas, this might delay full marriage even more. The most likely scenario would be to grant marriage-like benefits on a piecemeal basis -- partner immigration, social security benefits -- which could affect gays no matter which state they live in. But we're still second class citizens.
More likely we'll see movement on Employment Non-Discrimination, Hate Crimes laws, repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell, rescinding the HIV travel ban (Bush signed it into law, then ignored it), reality based sex education.
As for overturning Calif.'s ban, here's a proposal: It takes less than 700,000 signatures to get a proposal on the ballot. With good voter lists from gay organizations getting these signatures should cost less than a million. So, on every statewide election get a repeal of the ban on the ballot. Keep at it until it passes. Spend minimally to defend it, though don't confine spending to the campaign season and put the anti-gay forces on the defensive. Once people deny gays for the 5th or 10th time they just might change their vote. And even then you've spent less than the $35 million gays spent defending this one. And it might drain our opponents wallets. Yes, there are problems: Minimal defense may mean lopsided votes, which could get discouraging. Voters may get irritated at repeatedly voting on the same thing. And we might polarize the debate. Another idea is to alternate the gay marriage issue with such things as taxing churches that get involved in politics or stressing the separation of church and state. The end of this link has the story by Regan DuCasse who was upset with a black bishop who said, "now that the people have voted twice, these gay people in the streets need to suck it up." That prompted a lengthy phone call to the bishop, who couldn't see his hypocrisy.
The New York governor supports gay marriage. The state Assembly approved it by a wide margin. The state senate, controlled by the GOP refused to vote on it. But the senate now has a Democrat majority. Start celebrating? Um… Four Dem senators are backing GOP leadership because they are social conservatives and don't want to give gay marriage an opening.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Grumbling and gnashing of teeth
As of this morning, the opponents of the gay marriage ban in California say it is close enough they won't concede yet. Even so, there are plans for next steps -- more lawsuits. A coalition is challenging the legality of the amendment. Their grounds are that this affects a core principle -- equality -- of the Calif. Constitution and is thus a revision, not an amendment. The legislature must approve a revision before the people vote on it. Amendments, which don't affect a core principles, don't need legislature approval. One wonders why they didn't do this before the election and save $74 million, but apparently the court won't rule on a hypothetical, which is what the proposal is until it passes. You can imagine the Fundie fireworks if the Calif. Supremes rule this amendment was improperly brought before the voters. One commenter suggests we would do better as someone wronged than as a sore loser and should simply wait a few years and try to undo it. Demographics are in our favor -- the most votes against us came from those 65 and older.
The Fundies have now sunk their fangs into 30 state constitutions and are hungrily eyeing the other 20. Even Massachusetts should not consider gay marriage safe. If they can get a second vote in Arizona, they won't let several years of trouble free gay marriage in Mass. stop them. The issue will get to the national Supremes, now only a matter of when. But we're smart enough not to try until Obama has replaced a few members.
So what are we going to do about those other 20 states? The attacks will happen. Just give various Fundie organizations time to use this past election to refill their coffers. Likely next target: North Carolina. The state legislature has successfully kept the issue off the ballot at least twice, but once on the ballot it will pass.
We need a plan. It should be based on these questions:
* How do we educate leaders -- starting with Obama -- about the difference between civil and religious marriage? According to Obama it is always religious. We can start by holding him accountable to repeal DOMA.
* How do we deal with legislators at various levels who see voting for gays a detriment to their careers? Note that even some Democrats will vote on these amendments with gusto.
* How do we lessen the likelihood that blacks will vote against us -- how do we keep blacks from playing into the hands of white power?
* If a simple message of fairness hasn't been working what else do we base or message on? Fairness might eventually get us family protections, but won't get us marriage. Do we stress economics? Document and advertise (requiring money) how deceptive the anti-gay forces were? March on Washington?
* How might we get the public to delve into substantive arguments in an era when the soundbite rules?
* How can we motivate allies?
Another opinion is that this will only be resolved at the federal level. Three ways: Federal legislation more comprehensive than the overturn of DOMA (unlikely), a constitutional amendment (needing 3/4 state legislatures to approve -- less likely), or a Supreme Court decision. Even after the Supremes rule, will this issue linger like abortion?
A responder from Calif. is mighty upset with those running the pro-gay campaign -- the ads were too impersonal, they didn't feature many real families who would be affected (closet, anyone?), they ceded to many aspects of the debate to the anti-gay forces (don't talk about the kids), they relied on techniques (phone banks) that didn't succeed in previous battles. It's the stories that move voters and campaign leaders weren't letting the stories be told.
Another opinion is that we are trying to mimic the black civil rights efforts of 40 years ago. They used marches and rallies for visibility because that's all they had. We have more tools at our disposal and we're not using them.
While many of us monitor what the Fundies say about us (they are most certainly monitoring what we say), we are not strategizing how to combat their intentions until a proposal is on the ballot. Only then do we mobilize our opposition and by then we have already lost the use of such terms as "morality" and "truth." I know from experience that between the time the Michigan amendment was put on the ballot in 2004 and the election itself there wasn't time to get a message out that would combat what had already been said about us.
Suggestions:
* Study their talking points now and know how to counter them. Then do it when they appear in the media. Yes, there are a few websites that do that (Box Turtle Bulletin is one). We need to get the points and counter points into one easy to use place where all have access.
* Make sure you know who the enemy is (don't get mad at colleagues for using the wrong terms).
* Don't wait for leaders or celebrities to decide when to care.
* Be careful about claiming the mantle of the black civil rights effort because some people will get offended at the analogy (We have the right to vote, they didn't. They faced down snarling dogs and fire hoses and were willing to get a rap sheet if that's what it took to get their rights. We cringe at being confrontational).
* Those that oppose us appear to suffer no consequences of their bigotry. (Actually, I believe the Mormon church will suffer consequences in reduced membership and less respect of authority, but the leadership won't make the connection.) Our opponents did some nasty stuff, including blackmail. Are they being prosecuted?
* A lot of what Martin Luther King did for civil rights were modeled on the non-violent actions of Gandhi. Are we learning those concepts and using them?
A ray of hope:
Only 9 years ago Calif. passed a law forbidding marriage (the law that was overturned last May, I think). It passed with 62%. This amendment passed with only 52% and that took $35 million and a lot of lies).
I've written about blogger Terence Heath before, a black, gay father who can explain things quite well. Here he writes about learning that Obama won the presidency, how such a concept was so completely off his family's radar of what is possible, and how he and his six-year-old son celebrated. For one night. Then he woke up to the news of Florida, Arizona, and California. Everything changed. And nothing changed. Obama's parents marriage would have been illegal in some states 40 years ago. Terrence says the same will be true for his own sons.
There were a couple protests yesterday and today about the passage of the Calif. marriage ban. The first was in the gay community of West Hollywood (two reports with pictures). The other was at the LA Mormon church. One commenter wonders why we didn't see crowds like this before the election?
The Fundies have now sunk their fangs into 30 state constitutions and are hungrily eyeing the other 20. Even Massachusetts should not consider gay marriage safe. If they can get a second vote in Arizona, they won't let several years of trouble free gay marriage in Mass. stop them. The issue will get to the national Supremes, now only a matter of when. But we're smart enough not to try until Obama has replaced a few members.
So what are we going to do about those other 20 states? The attacks will happen. Just give various Fundie organizations time to use this past election to refill their coffers. Likely next target: North Carolina. The state legislature has successfully kept the issue off the ballot at least twice, but once on the ballot it will pass.
We need a plan. It should be based on these questions:
* How do we educate leaders -- starting with Obama -- about the difference between civil and religious marriage? According to Obama it is always religious. We can start by holding him accountable to repeal DOMA.
* How do we deal with legislators at various levels who see voting for gays a detriment to their careers? Note that even some Democrats will vote on these amendments with gusto.
* How do we lessen the likelihood that blacks will vote against us -- how do we keep blacks from playing into the hands of white power?
* If a simple message of fairness hasn't been working what else do we base or message on? Fairness might eventually get us family protections, but won't get us marriage. Do we stress economics? Document and advertise (requiring money) how deceptive the anti-gay forces were? March on Washington?
* How might we get the public to delve into substantive arguments in an era when the soundbite rules?
* How can we motivate allies?
Another opinion is that this will only be resolved at the federal level. Three ways: Federal legislation more comprehensive than the overturn of DOMA (unlikely), a constitutional amendment (needing 3/4 state legislatures to approve -- less likely), or a Supreme Court decision. Even after the Supremes rule, will this issue linger like abortion?
A responder from Calif. is mighty upset with those running the pro-gay campaign -- the ads were too impersonal, they didn't feature many real families who would be affected (closet, anyone?), they ceded to many aspects of the debate to the anti-gay forces (don't talk about the kids), they relied on techniques (phone banks) that didn't succeed in previous battles. It's the stories that move voters and campaign leaders weren't letting the stories be told.
Another opinion is that we are trying to mimic the black civil rights efforts of 40 years ago. They used marches and rallies for visibility because that's all they had. We have more tools at our disposal and we're not using them.
While many of us monitor what the Fundies say about us (they are most certainly monitoring what we say), we are not strategizing how to combat their intentions until a proposal is on the ballot. Only then do we mobilize our opposition and by then we have already lost the use of such terms as "morality" and "truth." I know from experience that between the time the Michigan amendment was put on the ballot in 2004 and the election itself there wasn't time to get a message out that would combat what had already been said about us.
Suggestions:
* Study their talking points now and know how to counter them. Then do it when they appear in the media. Yes, there are a few websites that do that (Box Turtle Bulletin is one). We need to get the points and counter points into one easy to use place where all have access.
* Make sure you know who the enemy is (don't get mad at colleagues for using the wrong terms).
* Don't wait for leaders or celebrities to decide when to care.
* Be careful about claiming the mantle of the black civil rights effort because some people will get offended at the analogy (We have the right to vote, they didn't. They faced down snarling dogs and fire hoses and were willing to get a rap sheet if that's what it took to get their rights. We cringe at being confrontational).
* Those that oppose us appear to suffer no consequences of their bigotry. (Actually, I believe the Mormon church will suffer consequences in reduced membership and less respect of authority, but the leadership won't make the connection.) Our opponents did some nasty stuff, including blackmail. Are they being prosecuted?
* A lot of what Martin Luther King did for civil rights were modeled on the non-violent actions of Gandhi. Are we learning those concepts and using them?
A ray of hope:
Only 9 years ago Calif. passed a law forbidding marriage (the law that was overturned last May, I think). It passed with 62%. This amendment passed with only 52% and that took $35 million and a lot of lies).
I've written about blogger Terence Heath before, a black, gay father who can explain things quite well. Here he writes about learning that Obama won the presidency, how such a concept was so completely off his family's radar of what is possible, and how he and his six-year-old son celebrated. For one night. Then he woke up to the news of Florida, Arizona, and California. Everything changed. And nothing changed. Obama's parents marriage would have been illegal in some states 40 years ago. Terrence says the same will be true for his own sons.
There were a couple protests yesterday and today about the passage of the Calif. marriage ban. The first was in the gay community of West Hollywood (two reports with pictures). The other was at the LA Mormon church. One commenter wonders why we didn't see crowds like this before the election?
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
DL at the 4 week mark
The weather today is too wonderful to simply sit. The temperature is 64, the sky is sunny, trees are in full color. So I spent about 20 minutes on my bicycle this afternoon, staying within my neighborhood and being careful not to push it. Once I got going the leg held up, though it does ache a little bit now.
Other signs of healing: The leg isn't as purple as it had been, though it is still brightly colored and a bit swollen. I was able to stand through most of my bell rehearsals both on Monday and yesterday evenings. I even did OK after forgetting my pain pills at supper yesterday, though I was back on them last night and today. More sleeping positions are becoming comfortable.
Other signs of healing: The leg isn't as purple as it had been, though it is still brightly colored and a bit swollen. I was able to stand through most of my bell rehearsals both on Monday and yesterday evenings. I even did OK after forgetting my pain pills at supper yesterday, though I was back on them last night and today. More sleeping positions are becoming comfortable.
A few more smiles and frowns
Michigan Supreme Court justice Clifford Taylor, who believes in conservatism more than he trusts laws, has been replaced by Diane Hathaway in a stunning upset, stunning because it happens so rarely in Michigan, she won by a decisive margin -- 49% to 40% (a Libertarian got 11%), and Taylor had a significant war chest.
Arkansas passed a ban on adoption by gays by 57%.
The California gay marriage ban has now been called as passing with 52%. This is the most expensive statewide proposal, reaching $74 million. Jerry Brown, the state attorney general, insists the 18,000 gay marriages performed since June remain valid, but someone is going to challenge them.
Arkansas passed a ban on adoption by gays by 57%.
The California gay marriage ban has now been called as passing with 52%. This is the most expensive statewide proposal, reaching $74 million. Jerry Brown, the state attorney general, insists the 18,000 gay marriages performed since June remain valid, but someone is going to challenge them.
Smiles ... and frowns
I voted yesterday at 2:00 (and drove the half mile to my polling place in spite of the fabulous -- 65 and sunny -- weather). There was only one person ahead of me (and she had problems because some pieces of ID had her name spelled wrong -- I did see her vote). We have paper ballots that are read by scanner and the supplied pens take a while to fill in the ovals (I timed one at 15 seconds, what, can't use a marker?). I caught myself filling in the wrong oval about halfway through so had to get a replacement ballot and it took a moment for them to decide how to do that. When done I took a moment to look at the ballot in satisfaction -- here I am a white guy in the suburbs of a racially charged city and I voted for the black guy because he'll serve my interests better than the white guy.
I heard a bit of news on the way home from bell rehearsal, though mostly it was blather. I got the TV on by about 10:15. I was annoyed that the West Coast was called just after the polls "closed" though I'm sure there were lots of people still in line. Even so that put Obama's acceptance speech at midnight. He did an excellent job! Quite the contrast to McCain's limp concession. This is definitely the smile. Here's a link to some of the newspaper headlines.
Since some of my readers will probably not look these up on their own…
A couple more smiles:
South Dakota abortion ban lost by 55%.
Colorado attempt to define personhood at conception lost by 73%.
Connecticut decided not to call a constitutional convention, slamming the door on using citizen led amendments to ban gay marriage.
And the frowns.
Florida gay marriage ban passed by 62% (it had to pass 60% and did).
Arizona gay marriage ban passed by 57% (don't like the first result? Do it again).
Californian gay marriage ban has not been officially called as of about 10:15 this morning, waiting for the count of a huge number of absentee and provisional ballots. Even so approval stands at 52%.
Now compare the last one to the Calif. proposal about ethical treatment of farm animals, which passed by 63% -- yep, rights of pigs comes before rights of gays.
What's next in gay marriage? Connecticut starts handing out marriage certificates to gay couples on Nov. 12. There are about 18 other states without constitutional gay marriage bans and they may legislate gay marriage or their supreme court may demand it.
But most of the other 30 states will require a visit to the US Supremes. And that will wait until Obama has a chance to appoint a few justices. But, given his views of gay marriage, he may not make a gay-marriage-friendly appointment.
I heard a bit of news on the way home from bell rehearsal, though mostly it was blather. I got the TV on by about 10:15. I was annoyed that the West Coast was called just after the polls "closed" though I'm sure there were lots of people still in line. Even so that put Obama's acceptance speech at midnight. He did an excellent job! Quite the contrast to McCain's limp concession. This is definitely the smile. Here's a link to some of the newspaper headlines.
Since some of my readers will probably not look these up on their own…
A couple more smiles:
South Dakota abortion ban lost by 55%.
Colorado attempt to define personhood at conception lost by 73%.
Connecticut decided not to call a constitutional convention, slamming the door on using citizen led amendments to ban gay marriage.
And the frowns.
Florida gay marriage ban passed by 62% (it had to pass 60% and did).
Arizona gay marriage ban passed by 57% (don't like the first result? Do it again).
Californian gay marriage ban has not been officially called as of about 10:15 this morning, waiting for the count of a huge number of absentee and provisional ballots. Even so approval stands at 52%.
Now compare the last one to the Calif. proposal about ethical treatment of farm animals, which passed by 63% -- yep, rights of pigs comes before rights of gays.
What's next in gay marriage? Connecticut starts handing out marriage certificates to gay couples on Nov. 12. There are about 18 other states without constitutional gay marriage bans and they may legislate gay marriage or their supreme court may demand it.
But most of the other 30 states will require a visit to the US Supremes. And that will wait until Obama has a chance to appoint a few justices. But, given his views of gay marriage, he may not make a gay-marriage-friendly appointment.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Pooping on the next president
With Obama and McCain battling it out, everyone has been ignoring Bush. Which means few people are paying much attention to how busy he's been. See, he has only 77 days left to pillage and plunder -- and he plans to make the most of it.
The New York Times puts it this way:
Here's a taste of how he plans to poop on us and the next president:
Civil Liberties: New guidelines on intrusive techniques for spying on neighbors even if there is no evidence of wrongdoing. And then they intend to edit the report on how these actions affect privacy, violating the laws that created the Department of Homeland Security.
Environment: Weaken regulations that implement the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act, such as what pollution controls need to be installed when a power plant is upgraded.
Abortion: Expand the rules on the right of health workers to refuse to help a woman get an abortion. This expands from doctors and nurses to referral and counseling services.
Banking: Restore tax breaks for banks that acquired bad loans through acquisition, which gives banks an incentive to use the bailout money to buy other banks, not to deal with the credit crisis (this one has already happened).
Security: Perhaps Gitmo won't be closed after all.
The New York Times puts it this way:
President Bush’s aides have been scrambling to change rules and regulations on the environment, civil liberties and abortion rights, among others — few for the good. Most presidents put on a last-minute policy stamp, but in Mr. Bush’s case it is more like a wrecking ball. We fear it could take months, or years, for the next president to identify and then undo all of the damage.
Here's a taste of how he plans to poop on us and the next president:
Civil Liberties: New guidelines on intrusive techniques for spying on neighbors even if there is no evidence of wrongdoing. And then they intend to edit the report on how these actions affect privacy, violating the laws that created the Department of Homeland Security.
Environment: Weaken regulations that implement the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act, such as what pollution controls need to be installed when a power plant is upgraded.
Abortion: Expand the rules on the right of health workers to refuse to help a woman get an abortion. This expands from doctors and nurses to referral and counseling services.
Banking: Restore tax breaks for banks that acquired bad loans through acquisition, which gives banks an incentive to use the bailout money to buy other banks, not to deal with the credit crisis (this one has already happened).
Security: Perhaps Gitmo won't be closed after all.
Adventure in architecture
I've been in revolving restaurants and quite enjoyed the experience -- then again I love to look at the scenery from on high (goes with my love of maps). Here's a new twist: a skyscraper in which every floor rotates. Independently. Allowing the building to change shape during the day. Just don't worry about the carbon footprint or trying to find your way to the bathroom in the dark.
Adventures in eating meatless
I've tried a few alternatives to the breakfast ham sandwich (actually, these have been instead of the turkey sandwich at lunch). This is my review of what I tried.
There are some foods I can eat day after day (like ham sandwiches) and never tire of them. There are others (like Triscuit Original crackers) which I enjoy for a few months and grow tired of and stop buying. Most of the meatless products I tried seem like they are in this second category -- I'll soon grow tired with the flavor.
Boca Burgers. The flavor had a bit too much onion (and I don't like onion), so while I ate all four burgers in the box I think they have a flavor I would get tired of quickly. The other problem is that one burger was too small and two would have been too much.
Lightlife Smart Tex-Mex. This is an imitation ground beef product, spiced up and with corn and beans for filling tacos. It made a very nice sloppy joe. I may not want that level of spice every day, but it will work on occasion. Two small issues. (1) What they said would be 3 servings did quite well as one. (2) It came in a plastic envelope intended for the microwave and made me wonder if the environmental cost of making the plastic was more than that of not eating the comparable amount of meat. I have bought this a second time.
Lightlife Smart ground original. Not a whole lot of flavor so what goes with it is important, like lots of ketchup or other sauce. Again, the serving size seems to be off -- the package says there are six servings and it seems better with only 3 or 4. One package doesn't seem to be enough if I want to make my usual hamburger casserole (which can last more than a week).
MorningStar Farms Grillers Prime. Better tasting and a bit larger than the Boca Burgers, though I would still like them about half again as large. Since they are to remain frozen until cooked and served, trying to cut one in half doesn't get you very far. The disadvantage is they have twice the fat content of Boca Burgers. Again, I'll likely grow tired of the taste.
Sol Cuisine Original Vegetarian Burger. Better tasting (though still high in onion and garlic) than the Boca Burgers. Also quite low in fat. They are big enough that I don't wish they were larger. I may buy them again, though I bought them at a specialty store that isn't all that close to home.
Hummus. I checked the nutrition guide on a package when at the grocery. I like the stuff as part of a Middle-Eastern meal (which I eat on occasion), however hummus has about as much carbohydrate as it does protein so it might be hard to balance in my diet if I eat it regularly. It is also rather high in fat (even if it is good olive oil).
Food Life Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal with Almonds. I can't describe this as a protein replacement because the amount of carbs is so high. I found it in the "health" section of the store and, since it was also high in fiber and low in sugar it sounded like a possible snack food. The scripture verse in the title is "Take also unto thee wheat and barley and beans and lentils and millet and spelt and put them in one vessel and make bread of it." The box will be glad to tell you why it is important the grain should be sprouted -- I hadn't heard about that before. The bits of cereal were so small I had to eat it with a spoon even straight out of the box. The flavor was good, but strange enough I doubt I'll buy it again.
Flax-Z-Snax Natural Hot Cereal, cinnamon and spice flavor. It is high enough in protein and low enough in carbs that I didn't get unduly hungry even with my low sugar problems. However, it needed a huge addition of jelly (made with Splenda) and Spenda itself to be palatable. It might be tough to finish all 10 servings in the package.
Fiber 1 original flavor cereal. This isn't intended as a protein replacement, just something to snack on when I get a bad case of the munchies. It is very high in fiber and has no sugar since it is sweetened with Aspartame. Is it possible to overdose on fiber? Alas, the last couple boxes have been less sweet.
Summary: Will I reduce my meat consumption? Yes, and I have. I find that a peanut butter meal before an evening event will last a lot longer than my burger casserole. Will I go vegetarian? No.
The USA Weekend supplement to the Sunday Detroit Free Press this past weekend had a Food column in the last issue that looked at foods that have been controversial. These foods had been tagged as taboo and are now considered good (or the reverse). In the list are eggs, pasta and bread (the new villains), chocolate (dark chocolate is best), bottled water (take water in your own reusable bottle), fish (depends on species populations), and soy. For that last one they recommend natural, not processed, soy. Miso, tempeh, tofu, and soybeans are good. Since the various vegetarian burgers are definitely processed soy have I lost all the benefits of soy? Is my only advantage that it isn't meat?
There are some foods I can eat day after day (like ham sandwiches) and never tire of them. There are others (like Triscuit Original crackers) which I enjoy for a few months and grow tired of and stop buying. Most of the meatless products I tried seem like they are in this second category -- I'll soon grow tired with the flavor.
Boca Burgers. The flavor had a bit too much onion (and I don't like onion), so while I ate all four burgers in the box I think they have a flavor I would get tired of quickly. The other problem is that one burger was too small and two would have been too much.
Lightlife Smart Tex-Mex. This is an imitation ground beef product, spiced up and with corn and beans for filling tacos. It made a very nice sloppy joe. I may not want that level of spice every day, but it will work on occasion. Two small issues. (1) What they said would be 3 servings did quite well as one. (2) It came in a plastic envelope intended for the microwave and made me wonder if the environmental cost of making the plastic was more than that of not eating the comparable amount of meat. I have bought this a second time.
Lightlife Smart ground original. Not a whole lot of flavor so what goes with it is important, like lots of ketchup or other sauce. Again, the serving size seems to be off -- the package says there are six servings and it seems better with only 3 or 4. One package doesn't seem to be enough if I want to make my usual hamburger casserole (which can last more than a week).
MorningStar Farms Grillers Prime. Better tasting and a bit larger than the Boca Burgers, though I would still like them about half again as large. Since they are to remain frozen until cooked and served, trying to cut one in half doesn't get you very far. The disadvantage is they have twice the fat content of Boca Burgers. Again, I'll likely grow tired of the taste.
Sol Cuisine Original Vegetarian Burger. Better tasting (though still high in onion and garlic) than the Boca Burgers. Also quite low in fat. They are big enough that I don't wish they were larger. I may buy them again, though I bought them at a specialty store that isn't all that close to home.
Hummus. I checked the nutrition guide on a package when at the grocery. I like the stuff as part of a Middle-Eastern meal (which I eat on occasion), however hummus has about as much carbohydrate as it does protein so it might be hard to balance in my diet if I eat it regularly. It is also rather high in fat (even if it is good olive oil).
Food Life Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal with Almonds. I can't describe this as a protein replacement because the amount of carbs is so high. I found it in the "health" section of the store and, since it was also high in fiber and low in sugar it sounded like a possible snack food. The scripture verse in the title is "Take also unto thee wheat and barley and beans and lentils and millet and spelt and put them in one vessel and make bread of it." The box will be glad to tell you why it is important the grain should be sprouted -- I hadn't heard about that before. The bits of cereal were so small I had to eat it with a spoon even straight out of the box. The flavor was good, but strange enough I doubt I'll buy it again.
Flax-Z-Snax Natural Hot Cereal, cinnamon and spice flavor. It is high enough in protein and low enough in carbs that I didn't get unduly hungry even with my low sugar problems. However, it needed a huge addition of jelly (made with Splenda) and Spenda itself to be palatable. It might be tough to finish all 10 servings in the package.
Fiber 1 original flavor cereal. This isn't intended as a protein replacement, just something to snack on when I get a bad case of the munchies. It is very high in fiber and has no sugar since it is sweetened with Aspartame. Is it possible to overdose on fiber? Alas, the last couple boxes have been less sweet.
Summary: Will I reduce my meat consumption? Yes, and I have. I find that a peanut butter meal before an evening event will last a lot longer than my burger casserole. Will I go vegetarian? No.
The USA Weekend supplement to the Sunday Detroit Free Press this past weekend had a Food column in the last issue that looked at foods that have been controversial. These foods had been tagged as taboo and are now considered good (or the reverse). In the list are eggs, pasta and bread (the new villains), chocolate (dark chocolate is best), bottled water (take water in your own reusable bottle), fish (depends on species populations), and soy. For that last one they recommend natural, not processed, soy. Miso, tempeh, tofu, and soybeans are good. Since the various vegetarian burgers are definitely processed soy have I lost all the benefits of soy? Is my only advantage that it isn't meat?
Monday, November 3, 2008
One last massive commentary before the election
Is there a difference between racism, thinking blacks are inferior, and racialism, thinking that blacks are different? A blogger who calls himself Radical Russ thinks so. You're choosing sides for a pickup game of basketball and the two guys left appear the same in height, strength, and ability though one is white and the other black. Which to choose? Probably black because you figure his street basketball games were tougher. What about two Harvard Law School valedictorians, one white another black? Probably black because you know he had to overcome a lot more and thus worked harder to make it on top. Now consider Obama, who not only aced Harvard Law, but has managed to campaign for president without a credible scandal dogging his heels. If preferring a guy like that is racism, I'll gladly wear the title.
The Los Angeles Times urges a no vote on Proposition 8, the Calif. marriage protection amendment:
The article proceeds to list the illusions:
Catholic Charities in Mass. halted adoption because of a gay-friendly law passed many years earlier that included the charities because they took state money. Those kids attending their teacher's lesbian wedding had their parent's permission and that permission could have been given for a domestic partner ceremony. The case about forcing churches to marry gays was about a NJ Methodist resort that got a tax exemption on the grounds that it is open to the public and therefore must be open to the entire public but doesn't affect what is done on private church property. The "traditional" definition of marriage has already changed radically over the years.
Here's a new blog that I've enjoyed reading for a couple days now. Most of the posts are by Helen, who is 82, lives in Texas, and is quite feisty and eloquent. She started blogging after her grandson set things up to help her keep in contact with her best friend Margaret, who is of similar age and lives in Maine. And, no, it isn't that kind of best friend -- both have husbands. I love the banner photo of the two friends on scooters on the deck of some military ship.
Helen was asked by an undecided voter how to help make a decision. Here's a summary of what she said (though she says it with much humor).
McCain blew his first big decision in choosing Palin. She is way out of her league. He is scaring people on taxes -- most won't make enough money to be affected. This is an ongoing GOP hoax. McCain has flipped on many issues and no longer has a spine and is no longer a maverick.
Which party has been screaming about bogeymen coming to get you and which has talked about hope? Which has been talking about Real America and which about the United States of America. Which thinks war is a good solution and which prefers diplomacy? Which has been a documented liar?
Are you still undecided because the terrorists are going to get us? Let's try hope instead of fear.
Thanks, Helen, for saying it so well.
So vote.
There has been a lot of news about long lines and multi-hour waits to vote in early voting states and predicted for many places tomorrow. Some are beginning to wonder if that wait amounts to a poll tax, something banned by the 24th amendment to the Constitution. Why is it so hard to have enough voting stations?
The remaining classical music station around here has decided that Sunday at 7:00 is the right time for the Gospel Hour. That's the time for me to wake up and this isn't my style of music. Sigh. So after my shower yesterday I caught the last half of Speaking of Faith, on NPR. The topic of discussion was what is the right amount of religion in political life? Yes, religion influences our morals and that is important when debating candidates and policies. Journalist Steven Waldman of Beliefnet put it this way. When a religion ties itself closely to a political cause or party they run a big risk. As people sour on the cause or party they also sour on the religion. This activity of the Religious Right over the last 25 years has turned an entire generation away from Christianity. The Evangelicals at the time of the presidency of Thomas Jefferson thanked him for his strong support of the separation of Church and State. They were pleased to be free of political control of religion. The whole program is 53 minutes.
In this past weekend's Prairie Home Companion Garrison Keillor started with a heartfelt song about Studs Terkel, who died the day before, then did a fun song for Todd Palin, describing how much he, an Alaskan outdoorsman, will hate living in Washington.
You can listen to segments of the show (all the above in the 1st 17 minutes) or read the scripts and lyrics.
The Los Angeles Times urges a no vote on Proposition 8, the Calif. marriage protection amendment:
Clever magicians practice the art of misdirection -- distracting the eyes of the audience to something attention-grabbing but irrelevant so that no one notices what the magician is really doing. Look over at that fuchsia scarf, up this sleeve, at anything besides the actual trick.
The campaign promoting Proposition 8, which proposes to amend the state Constitution to ban same-sex marriages, has masterfully misdirected its audience, California voters. Look at the first-graders in San Francisco, attending their lesbian teacher's wedding! Look at Catholic Charities, halting its adoption services in Massachusetts, where same-sex marriage is legal! Look at the church that lost its tax exemption over gay marriage! Look at anything except what Proposition 8 is actually about: a group of people who are trying to impose on the state their belief that homosexuality is immoral and that gays and lesbians are not entitled to be treated equally under the law.
That truth would never sell in tolerant, live-and-let-live California, and so it has been hidden behind a series of misleading half-truths. Once the sleight of hand is revealed, though, the campaign's illusions fall away.
The article proceeds to list the illusions:
Catholic Charities in Mass. halted adoption because of a gay-friendly law passed many years earlier that included the charities because they took state money. Those kids attending their teacher's lesbian wedding had their parent's permission and that permission could have been given for a domestic partner ceremony. The case about forcing churches to marry gays was about a NJ Methodist resort that got a tax exemption on the grounds that it is open to the public and therefore must be open to the entire public but doesn't affect what is done on private church property. The "traditional" definition of marriage has already changed radically over the years.
Here's a new blog that I've enjoyed reading for a couple days now. Most of the posts are by Helen, who is 82, lives in Texas, and is quite feisty and eloquent. She started blogging after her grandson set things up to help her keep in contact with her best friend Margaret, who is of similar age and lives in Maine. And, no, it isn't that kind of best friend -- both have husbands. I love the banner photo of the two friends on scooters on the deck of some military ship.
Helen was asked by an undecided voter how to help make a decision. Here's a summary of what she said (though she says it with much humor).
McCain blew his first big decision in choosing Palin. She is way out of her league. He is scaring people on taxes -- most won't make enough money to be affected. This is an ongoing GOP hoax. McCain has flipped on many issues and no longer has a spine and is no longer a maverick.
Which party has been screaming about bogeymen coming to get you and which has talked about hope? Which has been talking about Real America and which about the United States of America. Which thinks war is a good solution and which prefers diplomacy? Which has been a documented liar?
Are you still undecided because the terrorists are going to get us? Let's try hope instead of fear.
Thanks, Helen, for saying it so well.
So vote.
There has been a lot of news about long lines and multi-hour waits to vote in early voting states and predicted for many places tomorrow. Some are beginning to wonder if that wait amounts to a poll tax, something banned by the 24th amendment to the Constitution. Why is it so hard to have enough voting stations?
The remaining classical music station around here has decided that Sunday at 7:00 is the right time for the Gospel Hour. That's the time for me to wake up and this isn't my style of music. Sigh. So after my shower yesterday I caught the last half of Speaking of Faith, on NPR. The topic of discussion was what is the right amount of religion in political life? Yes, religion influences our morals and that is important when debating candidates and policies. Journalist Steven Waldman of Beliefnet put it this way. When a religion ties itself closely to a political cause or party they run a big risk. As people sour on the cause or party they also sour on the religion. This activity of the Religious Right over the last 25 years has turned an entire generation away from Christianity. The Evangelicals at the time of the presidency of Thomas Jefferson thanked him for his strong support of the separation of Church and State. They were pleased to be free of political control of religion. The whole program is 53 minutes.
In this past weekend's Prairie Home Companion Garrison Keillor started with a heartfelt song about Studs Terkel, who died the day before, then did a fun song for Todd Palin, describing how much he, an Alaskan outdoorsman, will hate living in Washington.
You can listen to segments of the show (all the above in the 1st 17 minutes) or read the scripts and lyrics.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)