The perfect putdown to the Islamofascist bombers.
"... I would have been happy to have died voting at the time of this explosion, because this is terrorism mixed with rudeness," said Saif Aldin Jarah, 61, a balding man with white hair who leaned on his daughter, Shyamaa, as he shuffled into the afternoon sunlight after casting his ballot.
"When terrorism becomes aimless and without a goal, it becomes rudeness," Jarah said, holding aloft a finger stained purple with indelible ink. "How could they force people not to vote?"
washington post, Jan30-2006
Monday, January 31, 2005
Friday, January 28, 2005
In harm's way....
"A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user."
A moving pictorial tribute to our troops on this weekend of the Iraqi election. God speed....
Hat-tip to Andrew Sullivan.
--- Pres. Theodore Roosevelt
A moving pictorial tribute to our troops on this weekend of the Iraqi election. God speed....
Hat-tip to Andrew Sullivan.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Dignity of the Individual
In light of Bush's back-track on aggressively supporting FMA and the pre-Stonewall tale from Bush's college days at BoifromTroy relates, I have to wonder where the man really stands vs. Mr. Rove-in-the-machine's homophobia. Particularly considering the several senior officials at the RNC are openly-gay, CFO Banning and deputy Political Dir. Gurley, that GOP Party Chrmn. Ken Mehlman is "very gay-friendly". The new GOP Party Co-chair Jo Ann Davidson of Ohio is both gay-friendly and pro-choice. And Bush and Cheney have openly-supported civil unions for states that want them.
Now that the 2004 Election-season is over, I'm cautiously optimistic...
Now that the 2004 Election-season is over, I'm cautiously optimistic...
Inaugural Thoughts
From the Fox-TV Transcript.... (20 Jan 2005)
"... Across the generations we have proclaimed the imperative of self-government, because no one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave. "
---A nice parallel to Lincoln's "...as I would not be a slave, I would not be a master".
"... In America's ideal of freedom, citizens find the dignity and security of economic independence, instead of laboring on the edge of subsistence. This is the broader definition of liberty that motivated the Homestead Act, the Social Security Act, and the G.I. Bill of Rights. And now we will extend this vision by reforming great institutions to serve the needs of our time. "
---An interesting choice of programs to cite.
"... To give every American a stake in the promise and future of our country, we will bring the highest standards to our schools, and build an ownership society. We will widen the ownership of homes and businesses, retirement savings and health insurance - preparing our people for the challenges of life in a free society. By making every citizen an agent of his or her own destiny, we will give our fellow Americans greater freedom from want and fear, and make our society more prosperous and just and equal. "
---"The Ownership Society" may be the biggest idea to change the political language in DC, in the manner of the Square Deal, the New Deal and the Great Society.
".... And our country must abandon all the habits of racism, because we cannot carry the message of freedom and the baggage of bigotry at the same time. "
---I wonder if this applies to the G/L Community as-well? He's often spoken of the dignity of the Individual.
I thought it interesting that he cited the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Quran. And tyranny seems to be the new "word", echoing Secy-designate Rice's Six Pillars of Tyranny comments during her Senate confirmation. The choice of language is interesting in-light of the Islamic Six Pillars of Faith...incorporating Islamic religious-language into the predominantly Biblical-language of American politics.
"... Across the generations we have proclaimed the imperative of self-government, because no one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave. "
---A nice parallel to Lincoln's "...as I would not be a slave, I would not be a master".
"... In America's ideal of freedom, citizens find the dignity and security of economic independence, instead of laboring on the edge of subsistence. This is the broader definition of liberty that motivated the Homestead Act, the Social Security Act, and the G.I. Bill of Rights. And now we will extend this vision by reforming great institutions to serve the needs of our time. "
---An interesting choice of programs to cite.
"... To give every American a stake in the promise and future of our country, we will bring the highest standards to our schools, and build an ownership society. We will widen the ownership of homes and businesses, retirement savings and health insurance - preparing our people for the challenges of life in a free society. By making every citizen an agent of his or her own destiny, we will give our fellow Americans greater freedom from want and fear, and make our society more prosperous and just and equal. "
---"The Ownership Society" may be the biggest idea to change the political language in DC, in the manner of the Square Deal, the New Deal and the Great Society.
".... And our country must abandon all the habits of racism, because we cannot carry the message of freedom and the baggage of bigotry at the same time. "
---I wonder if this applies to the G/L Community as-well? He's often spoken of the dignity of the Individual.
I thought it interesting that he cited the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Quran. And tyranny seems to be the new "word", echoing Secy-designate Rice's Six Pillars of Tyranny comments during her Senate confirmation. The choice of language is interesting in-light of the Islamic Six Pillars of Faith...incorporating Islamic religious-language into the predominantly Biblical-language of American politics.
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Shades of William Henry Harrison
Nick Gillespie at Reason has this charming quote about Bush...till you read it the second-time.
"...George W. Bush, arguably the savviest politician—and certainly the most underrated—to occupy the White House since Bill Clinton, won't fall victim to pneumonia. But for his sake—and ours—here's hoping he doesn't fall victim to longwindedness."
"...George W. Bush, arguably the savviest politician—and certainly the most underrated—to occupy the White House since Bill Clinton, won't fall victim to pneumonia. But for his sake—and ours—here's hoping he doesn't fall victim to longwindedness."
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Out of Sync?
The "Bush White House" is singing a different tune that Mr. Bush himself it seems; which makes me wonder how long some of his "advisors" are going to be around. The elections are over with only some "electoral" issues in 2006 to consider when it comes to triangulation on the issues that Bush wants to be remembered for, he's already been re-elected. And there's no-one in the close-administration / family-circle who are already manuevering for 2008...so there's little electoral baggage. Brother Jeb has his own record and it's too-soon for George-P. Dick Cheney's not interested in the Presidency at this point, and none of the Cabinet Secys are leading contenders.
So I ask the question that I don't have the answer to---what does GW Bush NEED the Evangelicals for? The Rove-in-the-machines within the White House has sold their souls to the Evangelicals for favors-promised, but what does Bush need the Evangelicals for now? Social-secrity reform and the flat-tax?? I suspect not.
Are the mixed messages from Bush vs. those of"his" staff a sign that there is a missed-'half step' between Bush and Rove after all these years ? Several times now Bush has personally made statements out-of-sync withe his own "staff" and the "party-elites" on the subject of civil unions...and the man's famous for NOT going off-topic. And the leadership-circle at the top of the RNC-apparatus is not controlled by Rove and his Evangelicals; and is at-least "gay-friendly" on a personal-level.
The "old" George W. Bush was the hatchet-man in his mother's footsteps during Bush-41. I wonder if we might see some of Barbara-Sr's steel-like spine and long memory against those who crossed the family once Bush-43's 2nd term gets underway? There's George-P's legacy to keep in mind 12-to-16 years out for the family to consider.Not a conclusion, but something to chew-on....
Update:
Allow me to be clearer...I do NOT expect GW Bush to flip-flop in "gay marriage". That's a non-starter issue that not only the Evangelicals oppose on religious-grounds, but that many fair-minded people think is "too-far" outside religious-tradition and society. But, I do think it's conceivable that he will stand aside for "civil unions" in those states that want it...and might even go alone with Federally-recognising those civil unions just as the government recognises civil marriage and civil divorce for Federal-purposes. I do not see Bush supporting forcing states to recognize civil unions judicially or through Federal legislation.
I do think that Bush might sign an G/L-version of ENDA on the basis of fairness and the dignity of the individual; and would support ending DADT on the same basis....plus, we need the manpower
So I ask the question that I don't have the answer to---what does GW Bush NEED the Evangelicals for? The Rove-in-the-machines within the White House has sold their souls to the Evangelicals for favors-promised, but what does Bush need the Evangelicals for now? Social-secrity reform and the flat-tax?? I suspect not.
Are the mixed messages from Bush vs. those of"his" staff a sign that there is a missed-'half step' between Bush and Rove after all these years ? Several times now Bush has personally made statements out-of-sync withe his own "staff" and the "party-elites" on the subject of civil unions...and the man's famous for NOT going off-topic. And the leadership-circle at the top of the RNC-apparatus is not controlled by Rove and his Evangelicals; and is at-least "gay-friendly" on a personal-level.
The "old" George W. Bush was the hatchet-man in his mother's footsteps during Bush-41. I wonder if we might see some of Barbara-Sr's steel-like spine and long memory against those who crossed the family once Bush-43's 2nd term gets underway? There's George-P's legacy to keep in mind 12-to-16 years out for the family to consider.Not a conclusion, but something to chew-on....
Update:
Allow me to be clearer...I do NOT expect GW Bush to flip-flop in "gay marriage". That's a non-starter issue that not only the Evangelicals oppose on religious-grounds, but that many fair-minded people think is "too-far" outside religious-tradition and society. But, I do think it's conceivable that he will stand aside for "civil unions" in those states that want it...and might even go alone with Federally-recognising those civil unions just as the government recognises civil marriage and civil divorce for Federal-purposes. I do not see Bush supporting forcing states to recognize civil unions judicially or through Federal legislation.
I do think that Bush might sign an G/L-version of ENDA on the basis of fairness and the dignity of the individual; and would support ending DADT on the same basis....plus, we need the manpower
Monday, January 17, 2005
Crossing Over
David Von Drehle has a great column of the Red Sea of America.
".... This Red Sea does not appear on any map but one. Or let's say, it appears most clearly on one particular map. This map is marked with the boundaries of the 3,141 counties or county equivalents in the 50 United States. Counties where Kerry won more votes than President Bush are colored blue. The rest, the counties carried by Bush, are red. See?
Blue islands and blue archipelagos, a blue isthmus here, a blue peninsula there, rise in a Red Sea that stretches from coast to coast. Rise quite literally, in many cases, because blue country is often marked by skyscrapers and high-rise condos and state capitol domes and university clock towers. Red country, as we shall see, is often quite flat. In some parts of the country, red and blue are as closely intermingled as water and land in the Louisiana bayou.
Where we went, it was wide open sea. ..."
".... This Red Sea does not appear on any map but one. Or let's say, it appears most clearly on one particular map. This map is marked with the boundaries of the 3,141 counties or county equivalents in the 50 United States. Counties where Kerry won more votes than President Bush are colored blue. The rest, the counties carried by Bush, are red. See?
Blue islands and blue archipelagos, a blue isthmus here, a blue peninsula there, rise in a Red Sea that stretches from coast to coast. Rise quite literally, in many cases, because blue country is often marked by skyscrapers and high-rise condos and state capitol domes and university clock towers. Red country, as we shall see, is often quite flat. In some parts of the country, red and blue are as closely intermingled as water and land in the Louisiana bayou.
Where we went, it was wide open sea. ..."
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
A Matter of Perspective?
GayPatriotWest and GayPatriot have commented ....
".... The real question isn't where the GP site is the "new" Andrew Sullivan. The question is was Andrew Sullivan ever anything more than a blow with the wind conservative? The other term for that is -- a Clinton Democrat. If the polls supported the war in Iraq by over 66%, Sully was for it. If they start to head down below 50%, Sully bolts. He reminds me of a Philadelphia Eagles fan, circa 2004. . . . . Andrew's main problem is that he, along with his fellow Clinton Democrats, do not understand Red State (and the majority of) America. He admits he doesn't like or "get" country music, for example. ...."
As someone who checks Andrew's 'blog first-thing logging-on, I thought I share what I posted on Polipundit today on this same topic;
"I support Andrew, even at those times when I don't agree with him, for his candor. Though I do think that he's a "Blue State"-conservative. By this I mean, he lives in the predominantly gay-safe, predominately-Democratic urban enclaves of Dupont Circle and Provincetown, he doesn't own or drive a car, and he's deeply immersed in the urban/gay-culture on a daily basis. He's a stranger-in-a-strange-land that's to his political- and personal-Left.
AIDS and gay marriage are in his own home, but many of the other issues that non-Blue State members of the gay/lesbian community deal with are not common to his daily-life. At times this allows him the freedom to pick and choose his affronts and travails. I don't think he understands the gay community or it's experiences outside of the Beltway and the Cape here in Red America. He doesn't have the life-experiences of dealing with Red American-parents, oblivious employers, and a level of outsider-ness that many other conservative gay Republicans experience both with straight-America, and from the predominantly-Left gay communities...either where we live, or those of the gay, urban "Blue enclaves".
While I respect his opinions, I really would encourage him to spend two or three months traveling through the Heartland and the Midwest by car or motorhome. Like many in the HRC and the LCR, he talks about Red America from Blue America; but I'm not so sure he has a sense of the volkgeist of Red America...both straight and gay. "
".... The real question isn't where the GP site is the "new" Andrew Sullivan. The question is was Andrew Sullivan ever anything more than a blow with the wind conservative? The other term for that is -- a Clinton Democrat. If the polls supported the war in Iraq by over 66%, Sully was for it. If they start to head down below 50%, Sully bolts. He reminds me of a Philadelphia Eagles fan, circa 2004. . . . . Andrew's main problem is that he, along with his fellow Clinton Democrats, do not understand Red State (and the majority of) America. He admits he doesn't like or "get" country music, for example. ...."
As someone who checks Andrew's 'blog first-thing logging-on, I thought I share what I posted on Polipundit today on this same topic;
"I support Andrew, even at those times when I don't agree with him, for his candor. Though I do think that he's a "Blue State"-conservative. By this I mean, he lives in the predominantly gay-safe, predominately-Democratic urban enclaves of Dupont Circle and Provincetown, he doesn't own or drive a car, and he's deeply immersed in the urban/gay-culture on a daily basis. He's a stranger-in-a-strange-land that's to his political- and personal-Left.
AIDS and gay marriage are in his own home, but many of the other issues that non-Blue State members of the gay/lesbian community deal with are not common to his daily-life. At times this allows him the freedom to pick and choose his affronts and travails. I don't think he understands the gay community or it's experiences outside of the Beltway and the Cape here in Red America. He doesn't have the life-experiences of dealing with Red American-parents, oblivious employers, and a level of outsider-ness that many other conservative gay Republicans experience both with straight-America, and from the predominantly-Left gay communities...either where we live, or those of the gay, urban "Blue enclaves".
While I respect his opinions, I really would encourage him to spend two or three months traveling through the Heartland and the Midwest by car or motorhome. Like many in the HRC and the LCR, he talks about Red America from Blue America; but I'm not so sure he has a sense of the volkgeist of Red America...both straight and gay. "
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
"...and the Republic for which It Stands"
Republic or Democracy? Walter E. Williams has a concise commentary.
".... In recognition that it's Congress that poses the greatest threat to our liberties, the framers used negative phrases against Congress throughout the Constitution such as: shall not abridge, infringe, deny, disparage, and shall not be violated, nor be denied. In a republican form of government, there is rule of law. All citizens, including government officials, are accountable to the same laws. Government power is limited and decentralized through a system of checks and balances. Government intervenes in civil society to protect its citizens against force and fraud but does not intervene in the cases of peaceable, voluntary exchange. "
I support the Republic and it's Electoral College.
".... In recognition that it's Congress that poses the greatest threat to our liberties, the framers used negative phrases against Congress throughout the Constitution such as: shall not abridge, infringe, deny, disparage, and shall not be violated, nor be denied. In a republican form of government, there is rule of law. All citizens, including government officials, are accountable to the same laws. Government power is limited and decentralized through a system of checks and balances. Government intervenes in civil society to protect its citizens against force and fraud but does not intervene in the cases of peaceable, voluntary exchange. "
I support the Republic and it's Electoral College.
Simple Rules to Live by...
I would suggest the following protocol that my farmer brothers observe;
1. Animals that you customarily give names to are not eaten; dogs, cats, horses, family pets.
2. Animals without names or identified by numbers are delicious; cows, goats, sheep, rabbits, any sort of fowl, etc...
3. If you give a name to any animal usually in category-2, then you can't eat it. Though you might sell it to someone else who will. This means if you plan to eat that cow or turkey, don't give it a "name".
4. Never lie to children about Rule-3, they'll never forgive you.
For Hunting the rules are simplier;
1. If it's "game" or fowl, then your obligated to eat it or give it to someone who will. The dogs and cats are family, so they can enjoy it for you. Some food-banks accept butchered game, check you state's game-laws first.
2. If it's varments (woodchucks typically), vermin or pests.... or game that you can hold within one-hand (ie. small game birds and fowl)....then it's best to re-cycle back into nature respectfully.
1. Animals that you customarily give names to are not eaten; dogs, cats, horses, family pets.
2. Animals without names or identified by numbers are delicious; cows, goats, sheep, rabbits, any sort of fowl, etc...
3. If you give a name to any animal usually in category-2, then you can't eat it. Though you might sell it to someone else who will. This means if you plan to eat that cow or turkey, don't give it a "name".
4. Never lie to children about Rule-3, they'll never forgive you.
For Hunting the rules are simplier;
1. If it's "game" or fowl, then your obligated to eat it or give it to someone who will. The dogs and cats are family, so they can enjoy it for you. Some food-banks accept butchered game, check you state's game-laws first.
2. If it's varments (woodchucks typically), vermin or pests.... or game that you can hold within one-hand (ie. small game birds and fowl)....then it's best to re-cycle back into nature respectfully.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Time to Run for Local-Office?
Chuck Wolfe at the Victory Fund makes a very pointed observation that applies to G/L activists with both political parties. There's more to political action than just signing a check, or waving placards and chanting. And we need to desperately spread our base beyond just the major Blue Cities and the Beltway; we need participation on local boards, municipal councils and county committees, not as G/L activists alone, but as good citizens of both parties conference and active within our communities.
" .... Achieving our equality is our responsibility. We cannot outsource this to any political party, national candidate or lobby. The strategies should be ours and we should own the outcome. Our election partnerships need to be built around specific issues in each state and jurisdiction; there is no 'one size fits all' in politics. By addressing local community concerns and cultivating long-term relationships with leaders and electorates we almost always dissolve prejudice and overcome obstacles that have formerly hindered our electoral success. And, though progress may seem stalled at the federal level at this moment, our community ensures its own success and accomplishment every single year with every qualified gay and lesbian candidate we elect. "
" .... Achieving our equality is our responsibility. We cannot outsource this to any political party, national candidate or lobby. The strategies should be ours and we should own the outcome. Our election partnerships need to be built around specific issues in each state and jurisdiction; there is no 'one size fits all' in politics. By addressing local community concerns and cultivating long-term relationships with leaders and electorates we almost always dissolve prejudice and overcome obstacles that have formerly hindered our electoral success. And, though progress may seem stalled at the federal level at this moment, our community ensures its own success and accomplishment every single year with every qualified gay and lesbian candidate we elect. "
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