Category: politics

Legal

Well, it seems I’m a legal citizen again, even if its only for the time being. With yesterdays ruling on Prop 8, California inches one step closer to being the state I’ve come to love. Even better, the judge’s statement was incredibly well written and based on detailed facts. [1]I especially love how he removed religion from the argument in one fell swoop!

A recent in-depth study of the original Prop 8 vote has shown it was the outright lies and fear-mongering cloaked as an effort to “protect the children” that swayed the votes against us. [2]I said as much back then. Also, many people who originally voted for it have come out against it once they discovered how deeply they had been deceived. And frankly, we all knew when it passed it was a gross violation of the California constitution. I’m happy to see the judge agreed.

I love the reaction from the haters arguing about activist judges. How quickly they forget this judge was republican. Even better is the lame excuse ‘its the will of the people’. Yeah, well when slavery was abolished, it was also the will of the people to allow it. How about when we killed people who dared say the Earth was round? And while I agree, the majority should have their say, it should not be at the expense of discriminating against others seeking a fundamental human right.

So the fight continues. One hurdle is down with more to come. I am optimistic as ever that we will see equality under the law in my lifetime. Hope springs eternal…

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↑1 I especially love how he removed religion from the argument in one fell swoop!
↑2 I said as much back then.

Respect

I love Rachel Maddow. Hers is one of the few political programs I consistently watch. I started watching knowing that she was a lesbian but I continued because of her sheer talent. While she has an obviously liberal slant, she is very fair-minded. Having a strong sense of that myself, I guess it is only natural I like her so much. And unlike many others, she pokes insight at the Dems as much as Republicans. Granted the Republicans get more but that’s only because they make it so much easier with their abundant and growing ignorance and fear-mongering. Rachel often calls foul regardless of party and calls it like she sees it. I love that!

Her investigative reports are some of the most in-depth of anything on TV. I was completely blown away by her interview last night with former Secretary of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge. Besides getting his point of view, she also asked him several tough questions. [1]And to his credit he responded rather well. And while she obviously disagreed with him at several points, she maintained civility and respect.

It is very refreshing to see a news commentator still focus on the news vs ratings. If you’ve never watched, I strongly recommend you check her out.

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↑1 And to his credit he responded rather well.

Right or Wrong

As you know, I rarely weigh in on politics (for a reason). However, I’ve been mulling this one over for awhile now. I’m quite sure my opinion is in the minority. Well, that is why its called an opinion. Just like assholes, ever body has one. I’ve been reading a lot of the fall out over Obama’s lackluster support for LGBT rights, gay marriage, and opposing DOMA, DODT, etc. [1]Maybe because we’ve become selfish and only notice instant gratification? Specifically, all the indignation about how our current Prez has ‘failed us’.

For the record, I am disappointed in our current President. He could be doing more to promote equality for the LGBT community. That said, I’m not ready to throw the book or even give up on him just yet. I’d like to think I have a more pragmatic view but that’s just me. When I voted for Obama, I did so knowing he would not wave a magic wand and fix everything overnight. I voted for him thinking he was the best choice of the candidates available to choose from. I still support that decision. Was he perfect for gays? No. We knew that ahead of time. Will he deliver on everything he promised? Probably not. What President ever has? The last President who rushed into trying to overcome centuries of prejudice left us with DADT. Oh what a great compromise that turned out to be.

While I am disappointed by Obama’s lackluster support, I am also trying to see the bigger picture here. Our country is facing some of the largest crises in our history. Our financial markets are practically in ruins from rampant deregulation. Our country is virtually broke and we are “robbing Peter to pay Paul”. [2]If China called in our debt, this would be the US of China. Our healthcare system is on the verge of collapsing under its on mismanaged weight. More and more companies are going under daily and adding to the already record numbers of unemployed. Not to mention, we are facing two wars overseas, a pending disaster with North Korea, and now Iran’s turmoil threatens to embroil us even further.

And here is the part that irritates me the most. We are quick to jump on the “he let us down” bandwagon, but in California during the Prop 8 campaign, the number of identified LGBT voters was way lower than our actual numbers. Had more of us stood up and exercised our constitutional right to vote, I firmly believe Prop 8 would have failed. Many foolishly assumed it was ‘shoe-in’ so they did nothing while our enemies mobilized their own numbers. And look where our complacency and indifference got us. Oh yes, we were quick to point fingers and blame. And I ask you, what has that gotten us? Nothing, zero, zip, nadda, zilch. Personally, I see it as a cop-out. We blame others in an effort to absolve ourselves of any personal responsibility. In the process, we give up our power and relegate ourselves to the “helpless victim” mentality. How many of you reading this right now has contacted a single government representative at any level? Even simpler, have you done anything at all, besides complain?

I have a radical idea. How about we get off our collective asses and get involved. Whether it be thru voting, marching, volunteering, educating, donating, whatever. Everyone of us can contribute, one way or another. Contact your local, State, and Federal representatives and let them know you expect results. In an age of electronic communication, its as simple as type and click. We can forward stupid memes, pics, porn, and funny emails till we are blue in the face, but we can’t contact our elected leaders? How sad is that?

Instead of whining like petulant children about how “Obama has failed us”, we should be focused on continually keeping our struggles in the public eye. No matter how hard the haters try, we are not going away. Stop sitting on the sidelines waiting for someone else to protect us. No one is asking you to go broke for the cause but every single person can find small luxury items that could be converted to donations for LGBT organizations. [3]Booze, bars, cigarettes, starbucks, porn, etc. Blasphemy, I know. Volunteer to man phone banks, mailing lists, voter registrations, street walking campaigns, etc. There are a ton of ways each and every one of us can be part of the solution.

The point here is pinning all our hopes on one man and then getting angry when he doesn’t deliver is foolish and naive. Yes, he could be doing better. Yes, we should hold him accountable for his promises. And yes, we should continue to demand more. But, the same is true of ourselves.

/rant

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↑1 Maybe because we’ve become selfish and only notice instant gratification?
↑2 If China called in our debt, this would be the US of China.
↑3 Booze, bars, cigarettes, starbucks, porn, etc. Blasphemy, I know.

Empowerment

I rarely talk about politics here.  Mainly, as it is a very  personal thing and also beat to death pretty much  everywhere else.  I’m just feel compelled to interject my  feelings today.

For all the nay-sayers out there, our new President  [1]notice how I deftly avoid the junk filters by leaving his  name out. is off and running.  Whether you agree with  him or not, you can’t argue he is being decisive.  His  actions so far indicate a strong return of leadership in  our government beyond petty greed.  And lord knows,  he has his work cut out for him.  I personally think if he  only delivers on half of his promises, he will have put  our country back in the right direction.

And while I’m not so foolish to think the world is just  gonna become rosey overnight, I must admit of having a feeling of hope again.  Seeing our new President come out swinging with real actionable behavior gives me a bit of pride in my country once more.  I find myself believing our luck direction has changed and things will eventually get better.  If this is any indication on the rest of his term, we certainly could have done worse in our choice of a new leader.

I can’t ever remember a time in my life being so completely captivated by political news.  I think my poor tivo is confused because it has gotten used to me not recording anything political.

Mr President, I wish you luck in the months/years to come.

/rant

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↑1 notice how I deftly avoid the junk filters by leaving his  name out.

Ho-hum

I haven’t really been inspired to blog much lately.  Even my twittering has waned.  After getting yet another round of emails asking “are you ok?”  I figured I should at least post an update.

Nothing is really wrong, [1]well other than being a 2nd class citizen in the eyes of the law again. I’ve just been busy.  Work has been crazy.  My union duties are extremely busy right now.  The other day I had so much union related stuff going on, I only sat on channel for about 45mins the whole day.  I’m not complaining as I usually get results.  Plus, I am actively working to make my place of employment better. 

I’ve also been heavily involved in playing Gears of War 2.  I freaking love that game.  I beat the campaign level once already and am really enjoying the online play.  If you have an 360, you should try it even if you don’t normally go for FPS (first person shooter) games. 

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The Prop 8 scandal still smarts.  I will admit to being rather sad lately over the whole ordeal.  I’ve attended several rallies and sit-ins.  And while it feels good, I just feel like rallies don’t accomplish much after the fact.  Where were all these people when our rights got taken away?  I’ve also donated all I can at this point.  I’ve pushed my finances as far as I’m willing.  I’ve already forgone riding gear, my holiday overtime pay and money for personal holiday gifts this year.  I can’t afford to give anymore right now.  I know I sound pissy but I’ve done my part.  I’m certainly not giving up but we all have limits. 

I’m curious about the whole “amendment process”.  I’d love to start an amendment to ban divorce in California.  Or maybe we could ban marriage all-together.  Or how about we ban Mormons?  How very “christian” of you to force your beliefs on others. Don’t like the idea of marrying a gay person?  Well then don’t do it you ignorant hate-mongering fuckers!  That’s ok, you’ll get yours in the end.  I have no doubts in that. 

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I’ve been hitting the gym consistently.  I’m back up to a full routine.  Still haven’t hit my original limits but slow and steady.  I’ve been good at incorporating cardio into my routines and I’m getting used to it now. 

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I had a date last week.  It was a medic who was doing his Medic cert back when I was doing my EMT cert.  We used to run into each other at the hospitals and chatted often.  Anyway, long boring story short, it did not go well.  One, he was clearly husband shopping.  Two, he had some internalized homophobia.  Neither of which I am inclined to put up with.  The final straw was when he indicated the whole Prop 8 scandal had very little to do with him.

I think he was more disappointed than I was. heehee  His face fell several times in the course of our conversations.  It was clear he expected me to be of a similar mind-set since we worked in related fields.  I almost felt sorry for him.  Almost. 

*

I’ve taken my daily journals private again as they aren’t very nice right now. 

References

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↑1 well other than being a 2nd class citizen in the eyes of the law again.

Amend or Revise

An interesting article on whether Prop 8 falls under an amendment requiring only a majority vote (50% + 1) or a revision (2/3’s approval of both houses BEFORE going to voters who must pass with majority vote).

An interesting take and a valid one IMHO even if it appears to be an uphill battle. Hope over and read the article for a better idea.

Hope still lives in this house.

Too Through

My happiness with our new President-elect is overshadowed today.  With Prop 8 expected to pass here in CA, Prop 102 in AZ and Prop 2 in Florida passing, I have lost all respect for so called “Christian” hate-mongers.  If you’ve been living under a rock, these 3 amendments write discrimination into their respective state constitutions. 

I’ve always tried to respect peoples religious beliefs however, there comes a point where your hate, fear, and ignorance cloaked in faith is no longer acceptable.  That time has come.  After this election, you’ve made it very clear you hate me and hope to forever label me as a 2nd class citizen.  Well I’m here to tell you, I am not going away no matter how hard you try.  Nor will I blithely stand by when I hear you condemning me and mine in the name of scripture and then claiming faith as an excuse. 

Of course, there are those who still claim to be “christians” who also believe in reason and human rights.  It is you folks who are now faced with a difficult choice.  You can continue to stand by and allow your religion (aka cult) to be corrupted by greed and hate or you can take a stand.  You can stand for common decency, respect, and equal treatment of all people.  You can put your fellow “christians” on notice their behavior is not acceptable and take back your faith.  But, if you choose to stand idly by and do nothing while still identifying with those who hate me, you are no longer exempt from my scorn either. [1]I feel it is worth noting, some of the most horrific atrocities ever committed in human history were done in the name of faith.

No matter how hard you try to justify your actions using archaic scripts, you know deep down it is wrong.  And it is you who is accountable for that. 

And to be clear, I don’t hate you.  But don’t expect me to ‘turn the other cheek’ any longer. 

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↑1 I feel it is worth noting, some of the most horrific atrocities ever committed in human history were done in the name of faith.

Hysterical

Does anyone else find it oddly amusing that the religious F&F’s [1]fundamentalists and fanatics selectively pick and choose disasters to blame on gays?  Several of the crazy sites (of which I will never link to here) are blaming the current financial crisis and resulting company failures on gays.  Wha-wha-what?  Gays caused the financial meltdown in our country? 

I particularly like how they liken our influence to total control yet we still don’t have basic rights in most of the Union.  I mean if our control was that iron clad wouldn’t we already have equal protections?  Oh right, God is keeping us in check.  I get it, blame the deity of choice as to avoid rational thought and common sense. 

*

I just finished watching the VP debate.  So basically Palin is considered a success because she didn’t stick her foot in her mouth?  Or at least that is what the political pundits on CNN think.  The VP is second in line for the presidency and we rate her a success on making it thru a debate w/o a major blunder?   My my, what high standards we have. 

I came away feeling that Palin has good memorization skills and looks good on camera.  As a VP she would pretty much be a figurehead that does what she is told.  Not necessarily a bad thing for a VP however, the though of her stepping into the presidency makes me shudder.  And while Biden didn’t particularly wow me, I felt he had a firmer grasp on reality and is much more qualified to be the VP.  I particularly liked his phrasing on gay rights.  While he said he didn’t support gay marriage, his phrasing clearly indicates he was referring to it in a religious sense not a civil rights sense.  Very well said in my opinion.  

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↑1 fundamentalists and fanatics

Politi-huh?

I rarely discuss politics on my blog.  Mainly, as it can incite people in all sorts of unexpected ways.  Some people take their politics very seriously.  Others, could care less.  Either way, never a good idea to discuss in an open forum.  For the record, I tend to be more liberal socially.  I find it shameful that we can sleep at night denying medical care to someone simply because they are poor.  However, when it comes to government oversight and economics, I tend to be a tad more conservative.  I’m not a registered Republican.  I’m not a registered Democrat.  I am, however, a registered voter.  I get my point across by voting.  I read, I investigate and then I vote for the person I think best for the position, regardless of their political affiliation.  Not rocket science in an age where information is a click away.  Sadly, I find myself more and more these days voting for the lesser of two evils. 

Anyway, this is sort of a side rant. 

I’m sitting at Firewood in the ghayto today and I overhear a group of young people [1]early 20’s tops….god, I feel old. lol arguing over the differences between Obama and Hilary.  I’m initially excited to hear such young folk talking politics.  Then I tune into what they are arguing about.  Clothing of all things.  They were arguing over who dresses better. [2]Leave it to my people to get to the heart of the issues. lol 

I’m not sure I should laugh or cry at the moment.  If they fate of the country hinges around how well the Prez-elect dresses, oh my.  Of course, I shouldn’t really be surprised.  We routinely vote actors in political offices based solely on the merits of their acting careers.  I guess I should be content they even care.  I don’t really remember my generation being overly political growing up.  Of course, I grew up in the back woods of East Texas.  My perspective might be skewered just a bit.  Back to my eavesdropping, one young pretty lesbian girl keeps interjecting the issues back into the conversation.  God love her! lol  She seems pretty well informed.  I’m hoping maybe I am just hearing the abstract of a longer more involved conversation.  If not, well at least we will have a pretty President. 

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↑1 early 20’s tops….god, I feel old. lol
↑2 Leave it to my people to get to the heart of the issues. lol