I Just Don’t Know

Anyone that reads here should be well aware of the recent spate of Hate Crimes and Demostic Terrorist acts that have recently occurred here in the United States (Dr. George Tiller, The shooting of soldiers in Little Rock, and most recently, the shooting at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum). While it should come as no surprise that I am sickened by these acts, it may come as a surprise that I have been quiet about speaking out against these acts.

Here’s the deal: I’m speechless.

I know. It’s hard for anyone that has spent any time around these parts to imagine me, of all people, being speechless; but really, I am. I just don’t know what to say, or how to get a grip on any of this.

I’ve read all of the blog posts pointing out that Janet Napolitano and the FBI pointed all of this out to us a few months ago. And yes, the fringe right had a field day trying to make it seem like some sort of left-wing conspiracy. Still, I’m taken back by it all. This strikes me as something that is happening in the United States that is so beyond politics. I feel like we are going back to a place where politics don’t matter, but the supremacy of power rules all. I fear that we are going back to a place where discourse means nothing, but the ability to prove that you are overwhelmingly stronger than everyone else means everything. Yes, my fellow Liberals and Progressives, I feel that we are walking into a trap, one where we will lose.

I can’t articulate why, right now, but I’m going to keep working on it, because I feel it is necessary.

Maine Is 5th State To Acknowledge That People Are Equal

Props to the State of Maine and Gov. John Baldacci for doing the right thing.

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine’s governor signed a freshly passed bill Wednesday approving gay marriage, making it the fifth state to approve the practice and moving New England closer to allowing it throughout the region.

New Hampshire legislators were also poised to send a gay marriage bill to their governor, who hasn’t indicated whether he’ll sign it. If he does, Rhode Island would be the region’s sole holdout.

The Maine Senate voted 21-13, with one absent, for a bill that authorizes marriage between any two people rather than between one man and one woman, as state law currently allows. The House had passed the bill Tuesday.

Democratic Gov. John Baldacci, who hadn’t previously indicated how he would handle the bill, signed it shortly afterward. In the past, he said he opposed gay marriage but supported civil unions, which provide many benefits of marriage.

Global Blogging Day of Action for Troy Davis

SJP, at Sojourner’s Place is taking the lead on this and asking bloggers to write about the Troy Davis case in conjunction with Amnesty International’s Global Day of Action for Troy Davis on May 19. Here’s the case, in a nutshell from Amnesty International:

Troy Davis was convicted of murdering a Georgia police officer in 1991. Nearly two decades later, Davis remains on death row – even though the case against him has fallen apart. Davis’ conviction was not based on any physical evidence, and the murder weapon was never found. Since his trial, seven of the nine eyewitnesses have recanted or contradicted their testimony, and one of the remaining witnesses has been implicated by nine others as the actual murderer.

Troy Davis’ stay of execution will expire May 15. I encourage folks, along with SJP, to take part in this event by blogging about Troy Davis and his case on May 19 in solidarity with the Global Day of Action.

Troy Davis’ stay of execution is set to expire on May 15. On May 19, groups and individuals all around the world will be organizing demonstrations, vigils, teach-ins or other public events to show the state of Georgia that the execution of Troy Davis would be an unacceptable travesty of justice. We need you to be as visible and as loud as possible!

For more information (courtesy SJP):

Fact sheet on Davis’ case

Innocence on Georgia’s Death Row

Where is the justice for me?

Listen to Troy tell his story

Join the discussion

Hear from Troy’s sister

Troy Davis’ website

My Birthday Wish List

Yes, today is my birthday, and you better bet I have a Wish List. Don’t worry, it’s not long or expensive.

Those of you that have been around these parts for a while know that I have in the past participated in fundraising efforts with DonorsChose.org. This year I’m participating in the Give-Back Birthday program. I’ve set up a nice little Give-Back page, and if you are so inclined, it would be great if you threw a couple dollars for one of the Arts and Music projects for schoolchildren that are in need.

The BDPA Foundation is currently holding a fundraiser to raise $500 in one week to help send a BDPA student to college. Please consider dropping a few dollars their way. You have until 7 May to do so.

Granted, my own list may seem small, but here’s the good part. My Wish List is open to other folk’s wishes. Anyone that knows of other good causes that are in need of funding should feel free to post a link to a donation page in comments. Obviously, any requests for donations should be of the progressive sort. Organizations that support education, women, anti-racism, the disabled, etc. need only apply.

I understand that times are hard and money is short, but consider this little effort an act of investing in the future. Leave some links, donate 5 bucks where you can, and let’s do this.

Don’t Let the Door Hitcha!

In just less than 24 hours, that fuckwit of a President, George W. Bush, will be gone! All I have to say is, “don’t let the door hitcha, punk ass!” I invite everyone to join me in…

(I almost posted Prince’s “1999,” a song which, I must admit, I still love, but the irony of posting a video by a now known homophobe on the eve of having to sit through that other homophobe, Rick Warren’s, invocation was too much to handle.)

Tomorrow, I’ll be throwing virtual shoes. And my aim is on point!

Video of the Day – Watch This!

Tip o’ the fedora to Sparkle Buckwild (via Twitter) and Dawson’s Ink:

I AM SEAN BELL, black boys speak from Stacey Muhammad on Vimeo.

Rick Warren? Say It Ain’t So!

Ok, President-Elect Obama. I sometimes just don’t get you. While I think it’s cool and all that Time named you the Person of the Year, and you certainly deserve it, I am absolutely baffled at your choice of Rev. Rick Warren to give the invocation speech at your innauguration. What gives? I understand that you’re all about reaching across the aisle, and I respect that. I’d be flipping folks off, so you’re probably a better person than I; and I’ve long ago come to terms with the fact that you are not as progressive as I’d like you to be (and if you were, you wouldn’t be the President-Elect right now); but really, why are you giving a platform to a staunchly anti-gay, anti-choice minister, a man who refers to pro-choice folks as “holocaust deniers“?

I am so sick of people trying to make a point by disrespecting people’s lives and histories–both on the left and the right. That shit is so tired and needs to be called out more often.

There are many, many ministers out there that use their faith as an avenue of justice. I know. I’ve worked with them. The Rev. Rick Warren is not one of them. Here’s someone you could look up. Why? Why did you have to chose this man?

I also gotta say, that Aretha Franklin, who sang “Respect” and “Someday We’ll All Be Free” at a concert for Bill Clinton, will be following Warren…well, the irony of that is about to make my head explode.

I want to believe that my vote for you was the right thing to do. Please don’t prove me wrong. I hate being wrong.