Today’s quote of the day seemed particular good for the last day of the year, as we look to 2011 with hope and optimism. Thank you to one of my heros, Eleanor Roosevelt. May we all pursue our dreams and be engaged in the good work of making the world a better place for ALL.
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Eleanor Roosevelt
What a delight I had in writing this post. I always have to compose the Bigot post first to get rid of the bile. Composing the Hero articles feels like dessert. This year’s Hero Award goes to Kirsten Gillibrand , with an honorable mention to Patrick Murphy. Kirsten Gillibrand has been a champion of repealing DADT for two years now, as demonstrated in this video from 2009. She introduced repeal legislation in the Senate in March, well before the more-reported last-minute efforts that eventually succeeded. She is also a strong proponent of equal protection for the LGBT community and for marriage equality. We need more heterosexual and outspoken allies like Gillibrand. She has shown great leadership as the Senator from New York and does not shy away from confronting her peers by protecting civil rights. As we move into a difficult new Congress, we need strong leaders like Jeff Merkley, Bernie Sanders, and this year’s hero: Kirsten Gillibrand.
The past four bigot awards this week provided a cornucopia of embarrassments for the United States, but none so embarrassing as Senator John McCain from Arizona. His maniacal — almost pathological — and contradictory ranting against Don’t Ask Don’t Tell earns him this year’s prize. While there were several posts where I tried to speculate that perhaps McCain is suffering from something organic, such as the onset of Alzheimer’s, which would demand my pity and compassion, I’m afraid there are far darker forces at work here. McCain seems completely motivated by anger, envy, and dissipation. Yes, I really dislike this waste particle of a human being, but I also do pity him, for he has now permanently sealed his fate in history books — he is the 21st Century’s George Wallace and his reaction to contrary opinions merely proves what a buffoon he is. The larger question at hand for me is: How is it that government civil servants can work so hard to restrict civil rights rather than protect them? How can any marginalized person trust those that live to oppress others? Let us hope that next year we will not have the plethora of bigots to choose from, that these voices will grow smaller in number.
Speaking Truth to Power is what earned Senator Bernie Sanders the Number 2 Hero of the Year Award. While Republicans like John Boehner and Lindsey Graham were blackmailing the people of the United States to preserve tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of Americans, and President Obama sided with Republicans while admonishing his own party, there was one person that said NO. Bernie Sanders spoke with conviction of principles, passion, and dedication as a civil servant; he makes me proud of what America could be. Congratulations, Senator Sanders. You are one my heros and you have secured a rightful place in history. I hope you will watch his speech again.
Geraldine Doyle, who was the inspiration for the well recognized poster of Rosie the Riveter, died yesterday. She was 86. Doyle, whose face became the inspiration behind the iconic World War II image of “Rosie the Riveter, was from Lansing, Michigan. Click here to see her biography.
How appropriate that the Fecal Five should be the Number 2 Bigot of the Year Award. The Fecal Five earn this dubious award because they hold so much power and influence that they have paved the way for the corruption of justice, rather than preserving justice. These five men have helped to give voice to the right wing fringe that decry human rights and work to dissolve and erode common decency. In the Citizens United v Federal Election Commission case, the US Supreme Court, specifically the Fecal Five, stated that corporate funding cannot be limited when supporting political candidates–translation, the rich can buy themselves an election, as witnessed by this midterm election with the financial backing of Karl Rove’s American Crossroads and the millions of dollars spent by the Koch Brothers who are in bed with Rupert Murdoch of Fox News! These billionaires gave a blank check to the Tea Party during the election–hope Rand Paul and Marco Rubio sent them a proper thank you note. As a country we need to be very very scared of Mike Huckabee–he will be one very well financed Tea Party presidential candidate. Stay tuned tomorrow to see the Number 1 Bigot of the Year.
My friend Jen Lockett helped to inspire this story by sending me several articles–thanks Jen. Back in September I did a post on Teen Mom a reality TV show. I also quoted some statistics from that month’s Hapers that showed how teenage boys want to get young girls pregnant as a badge of honor. I was quite upset in September because the show seemed to intentionally shy away from the choice of abortion. I’m happy to report that has changed and Bravo to MTV for finally showing abortion as an option. While I will not become a follower of the show, I am proud of the young woman, Markai Durham. One of her best arguments is:
You have made me into a character for your amusement and nothing else. My motive for this episode is to not say ‘hey look at me I got pregnant again,’ ” she wrote Monday. “One thing we can all agree on is no one is pro-abortion! … No one wants to have an abortion or even go through this type of procedure. I never did it because I thought it was the right thing to do. I did it because it was the BEST thing to do for my family.
Having known several women that have had abortions, I know it was one of the most difficult decisions they had to make. We men don’t ever have to make such difficult decisions about our own bodies. It is very easy to see how you CAN BE BOTH pro-choice and pro-child. I’m often shocked and amazed at the arrogance and self-righteousness of anti-choice folks. I’m also tired of the media referring to these people as pro-lifer. Sorry, they are not. Can we use language correctly? They are anti-choice. Click here to see the full article.
If you have not heard or read this yet, this is just too delicious not to pass on and enjoy. Pat Robertson has said that: “God created the blizzard currently battering the Northeast “to punish Americans who were planning to drive to do something gay.” Wow! I had no idea that us homos were so powerful. Y’all better watch out, or we will put a spell on you. (Sorry, I had to find a way to put one of my favorite Nina Simone songs in here). I guess Robert and I caused it to snow here in Oregon today. Click here to see the full article.
As I was reading an article from Truthout.org, I was appalled at the article: Arizona Bans Ethnic Studies. Wow! Because John McCain and Jan Brewer are not embarrassing enough for the state, they now have to ban an Ethnic Studies. Well, that does not smack of censorship or of xenophobia. Do we need to build an underground railroad for anyone that is not white, christian, and heterosexual in Arizona? Perhaps Focus on the Family and NOM should put their headquarters in the Aryan State of Arizona. Click here to read the entire disturbing article.
I’m posting an article my friend James Russell wrote because it touched a part of me that I want embedded in the fiber of this blog–to help foster a nonviolent world in which each of us as humans cares for each of us as humans. Russell’s interview with Kathy Kelly gives me hope that people can be kind and reach out to make a difference. Kelly is certainly leaving her indelible mark on society. Nice proof that not all of us are Yahoos. Here is a particularly poignant part of the interview:
JMR: Why did you decide to become a war-tax refuser?
KK: When it dawned on me that my neighbors didn’t have food, that the youngsters would be remarkable if they made it though their teenage years, and that people in my neighborhood were sleeping in abandoned buildings. There’s no way I was going to go to a teaching job and spend much of my teaching day trying to teach youngsters about opposition, radical opposition to nuclear weaponry and then take a third of my income and then pay for nuclear weapons and the rest of it. It wasn’t even a question once I realized, and I thought “Of course! What a relief! I don’t have to pay those taxes.” I never will pay those taxes and since the day that I first made that determination, there hasn’t been a doubt in my mind. I will never pay federal income tax.
I hope all of you will take the time to click through and read the interview in total. Click here.
Social Justice For All 