The more I think about the way things are now, the more it becomes obvious that we need to take more personal responsibility for changing the world. So many had hopes that Obama as president would mean real change, and now for many of us those hopes are beginning to shred.
For gays, for people who need health care, for those of us hanging on by a thread in the new economy, the awakening is rough.
Seems important to remember the phrase that was going around during the campaign "We are the ones we have been waiting for" - as in.. he's not the Messiah and he cannot do this by himself.
Like many others I find myself very disappointed by those he has chosen to have around him, his close circle: i.e. Rahm Emanuel, Geithner, Summers, etc, and surprised by those he has frozen out. I.e.e Krugman, Galbraith, Roubini, Reich and other progressive economists.
As my Canadian friend puts it: He was just the right man at the right time for the powers that be. He won't make any changes that aren't approved by those who are really in charge.
Not sure if I want to really believe this, I still hope for the best. But I have to say that - while some of the things he has signed are praiseworthy, it's hard to keep the faith after the last month or two. Holder's DOJ defending DOMA and the language that was used was over the top for me.
I defended him when he left the Iranians to be suppressed by their government.. it seemed clear then that that was the right stance, painful though that is to watch.. every country must fight for its own independence, right? Not to mention that the US military is debilitated by trying to finish up two wrong- headed Bush wars. With the mess that Bush left the country in, any progress is bound to be held up while we tread water trying not to drown..
Now I am reminded by my friends that Poland and France helped the US to gain independence, by sending troops. And I wonder- what if those troops had not arrived?
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Cafeteria Catholics?
I have to crack up when I see the ads that Google is placing here.
the one about a Cafeteria for Catholics is so funny.
"Because Catholics need to know"...
OK....
the one about a Cafeteria for Catholics is so funny.
"Because Catholics need to know"...
OK....
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
- The Lord's Prayer (from the original Aramaic)
O Cosmic Birther of all radiance and vibration.
Soften the ground of our being and carve out a space within us where your Presence can abide.
Fill us with your creativity so that we may be empowered to bear the fruit of your mission.
Let each of our actions bear fruit in accordance with our desire.
Endow us with the wisdom to produce and share what each being needs to grow and flourish
Untie the tangled threads of destiny that bind us, as we release others from the entanglement of past mistakes.
Do not let us be seduced by that which would divert us from our true purpose, but illuminate the opportunities of the present moment.
For you are the ground and the fruitful vision, the birth, power and fulfillment, as all is gathered and made whole once again. Amen
Soften the ground of our being and carve out a space within us where your Presence can abide.
Fill us with your creativity so that we may be empowered to bear the fruit of your mission.
Let each of our actions bear fruit in accordance with our desire.
Endow us with the wisdom to produce and share what each being needs to grow and flourish
Untie the tangled threads of destiny that bind us, as we release others from the entanglement of past mistakes.
Do not let us be seduced by that which would divert us from our true purpose, but illuminate the opportunities of the present moment.
For you are the ground and the fruitful vision, the birth, power and fulfillment, as all is gathered and made whole once again. Amen
Saturday, April 18, 2009
an idea worth spreading!
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html
this brain surgeon had a stroke and was able to document her experience as parts of her brain shut down. She also had a transcendant experience that could be described as a spiritual awakening as this happened. She has since fully recovered and this is her amazing account of what happened. Worth reading for scientists and spritual seekers alike!
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html
this brain surgeon had a stroke and was able to document her experience as parts of her brain shut down. She also had a transcendant experience that could be described as a spiritual awakening as this happened. She has since fully recovered and this is her amazing account of what happened. Worth reading for scientists and spritual seekers alike!
Friday, April 17, 2009
from my favorite movie about Hawaii, see it if you can at your favorite film festival!
http://www.taylorcampkauai.com
Stay tuned for upcoming preview screenings in Santa Monica and Maui!
FILM SYNOPSIS
© Copyright 2008 - Wehrheim Productions LLC
Stay tuned for upcoming preview screenings in Santa Monica and Maui!
TAYLOR CAMP
1969-1977
FILM SYNOPSIS
“Taylor Camp” is a feature documentary (as well as a book to be published by Serindia) that takes the viewer
on a journey through the ultimate hippie fantasy - a crazy quilt community of tree houses on the beach at the
end of the road on Kauai. It’s about the rejection of American values only to repaint them with long hair,
marijuana and a vegetarian “clothing-optional” lifestyle in the era of flower power, anti-war riots
and the Age of Aquarius.
Taylor Camp was born in the spring of 1969 when artist / oceanographer Howard Taylor (brother of actress
Elizabeth) bailed out of jail a rag-tag band of young mainlanders arrested for vagrancy and invited them to
live on his land; thus setting off immigrating waves of hippies, surfers, seekers and psychologically
scarred Vietnam vets to Kauai's North Shore.
30 years later, we relive the growth of the camp through storytelling and interviews with the campers and
their local neighbors. The interviews are woven into period music, re-enactments, original footage and
striking black and white images of the camp from 1971 to 1977, plus a bare-knuckle examination of
Taylor Camp's impact on the local community.
Condemned by the State in 1977, government workers torched the camp before the last resident
moved out, leaving behind ashes and magical memories of “the best days of our lives”.
Taylor Camp Film Trailer
Taylor Camp News Clip
Preview Screenings & Seminars
More Photos
on a journey through the ultimate hippie fantasy - a crazy quilt community of tree houses on the beach at the
end of the road on Kauai. It’s about the rejection of American values only to repaint them with long hair,
marijuana and a vegetarian “clothing-optional” lifestyle in the era of flower power, anti-war riots
and the Age of Aquarius.
Taylor Camp was born in the spring of 1969 when artist / oceanographer Howard Taylor (brother of actress
Elizabeth) bailed out of jail a rag-tag band of young mainlanders arrested for vagrancy and invited them to
live on his land; thus setting off immigrating waves of hippies, surfers, seekers and psychologically
scarred Vietnam vets to Kauai's North Shore.
30 years later, we relive the growth of the camp through storytelling and interviews with the campers and
their local neighbors. The interviews are woven into period music, re-enactments, original footage and
striking black and white images of the camp from 1971 to 1977, plus a bare-knuckle examination of
Taylor Camp's impact on the local community.
Condemned by the State in 1977, government workers torched the camp before the last resident
moved out, leaving behind ashes and magical memories of “the best days of our lives”.
Taylor Camp Film Trailer
Taylor Camp News Clip
Preview Screenings & Seminars
More Photos
© Copyright 2008 - Wehrheim Productions LLC
So long as you have one enemy in your life, you will be held hostage and can be taken prisoner.
Enemies are something to think about. Injustice happens in this world, but one person's injustice is another person's lesson or wakeup call. It's not always a black and white situation. Deep down we know there are no good guys or bad guys, just human beings making choices, sometimes choices we vehemently disagree with. But we all have both sides in us, and sometimes the things we most judge in others are the things we dislike most in ourselves.. (homophobia and "closet cases" come to mind:) and it's only when we claim our shadow and learn the lessons that we can move on.
So whenever I think about George Bush, I try to think about and claim the part of me that Bush, his "election" represented... my inner Texan, if you will :) The part of me that thinks I can just stamp out part of reality, the parts I don't like, isolate them, bomb them into submission. It doesn't work if I just tell myself that he has NOTHING to do with me. Because I am an American, and I am a part of everything that happened in my name in the last eight years.. (longer than that if you want to get technical about it).
It's important to many of us that justice be done, and that the perpetrators of injustice be held accountable. How does this square with the spiritual side of life? Karma happens whether or not our human systems make "justice" happen.
The trick is in knowing when- in this real world- to press to hold people accountable, and when to let go and trust that the Divine is handling the situation.
ALL the people who are creating reactions in our lives are our teachers, and their actions are teaching others as well. Teaching them what works and what doesn't, what society values or does not value, and how much they can get away with.. the teachings happen on many levels and are not always apparent or obvious to the naked eye.
So if someone-especially someone in media or a leadership position- chooses to hold a leader's actions up to the light and say this is unacceptable, how much of that is that person and his/her own issues, and how much is it that person speaking as a member of society saying.. this person's actions are no longer going to be acceptable.. as in, you no longer get to express your homophobia without consequences?
Just a few thoughts. Personal animosity goes nowhere - but accountability, and assigning value and worth to those (today it's gays, poor people, disabled, even state workers who provide services to those who are hurting ) who have been scapegoated and mistreated for as long as we can remember.. that is a part of the reversal that the Divine Feminine is ushering in with these new Earth Changes.
Taxes are a major way we contribute to our society. Where we put that tax money is an expression of our values. Do we choose to pave our roads, or to pay for counselors for victims of sexual abuse and rape? Sometimes we have to make the hard choices. Are compassion and love represented in our institutions? How high a value do they get? Does the military state ever have to go without? Will we tolerate potholes to make others' lives bearable? Or if we choose to dismantle the military state can we have all our needs met? Is the military state there to keep intact the system of privilege for the privileged few ?
Picking up the rocks and looking at the worms underneath, shining some light on the conditions on the ground and deciding whether they need to be changed, that is also a human responsibility- right now especially.
Kali Yuga will see huge, massive changes in our world before we are done. Will we be proactive in our little piece of the world and help to midwife these changes? Or will we see ourselves as victims of those changes because we didnt care enough to ask the right questions?
The Goddess wants to see Justice done. It may feel like a blunt instrument if we have not been paying attention. Paying attention when the issue is like a feather hitting you lightly on the face, and responding to it then is infinitely preferable to waiting until it's a two by four hitting you upside the head.
It's important to focus on the positive --visualizing what you want to see as the new reality coming in, and staying in joy and the positive wherever and whenever possible. But the dark side is always there, and if we make an effort to stay in touch with it in ourselves and others, then the balancing act of yin and yang, light and dark, doesn't get out of balance.
As important as it is to focus on the Light and what we want to see in our lives, spiritual people need to bring themselves down to the earth level and be active in living our values.
It all comes down to whether you believe it is important for fairness for all to be demonstrated in our human political systems. Sometimes that only happens when leaders- and individual people- are willing to pick up the rocks, and assign responsibility- and accountability- where it is warranted. That is one piece of the courage that these times demand.
So whenever I think about George Bush, I try to think about and claim the part of me that Bush, his "election" represented... my inner Texan, if you will :) The part of me that thinks I can just stamp out part of reality, the parts I don't like, isolate them, bomb them into submission. It doesn't work if I just tell myself that he has NOTHING to do with me. Because I am an American, and I am a part of everything that happened in my name in the last eight years.. (longer than that if you want to get technical about it).
It's important to many of us that justice be done, and that the perpetrators of injustice be held accountable. How does this square with the spiritual side of life? Karma happens whether or not our human systems make "justice" happen.
The trick is in knowing when- in this real world- to press to hold people accountable, and when to let go and trust that the Divine is handling the situation.
ALL the people who are creating reactions in our lives are our teachers, and their actions are teaching others as well. Teaching them what works and what doesn't, what society values or does not value, and how much they can get away with.. the teachings happen on many levels and are not always apparent or obvious to the naked eye.
So if someone-especially someone in media or a leadership position- chooses to hold a leader's actions up to the light and say this is unacceptable, how much of that is that person and his/her own issues, and how much is it that person speaking as a member of society saying.. this person's actions are no longer going to be acceptable.. as in, you no longer get to express your homophobia without consequences?
Just a few thoughts. Personal animosity goes nowhere - but accountability, and assigning value and worth to those (today it's gays, poor people, disabled, even state workers who provide services to those who are hurting ) who have been scapegoated and mistreated for as long as we can remember.. that is a part of the reversal that the Divine Feminine is ushering in with these new Earth Changes.
Taxes are a major way we contribute to our society. Where we put that tax money is an expression of our values. Do we choose to pave our roads, or to pay for counselors for victims of sexual abuse and rape? Sometimes we have to make the hard choices. Are compassion and love represented in our institutions? How high a value do they get? Does the military state ever have to go without? Will we tolerate potholes to make others' lives bearable? Or if we choose to dismantle the military state can we have all our needs met? Is the military state there to keep intact the system of privilege for the privileged few ?
Picking up the rocks and looking at the worms underneath, shining some light on the conditions on the ground and deciding whether they need to be changed, that is also a human responsibility- right now especially.
Kali Yuga will see huge, massive changes in our world before we are done. Will we be proactive in our little piece of the world and help to midwife these changes? Or will we see ourselves as victims of those changes because we didnt care enough to ask the right questions?
The Goddess wants to see Justice done. It may feel like a blunt instrument if we have not been paying attention. Paying attention when the issue is like a feather hitting you lightly on the face, and responding to it then is infinitely preferable to waiting until it's a two by four hitting you upside the head.
It's important to focus on the positive --visualizing what you want to see as the new reality coming in, and staying in joy and the positive wherever and whenever possible. But the dark side is always there, and if we make an effort to stay in touch with it in ourselves and others, then the balancing act of yin and yang, light and dark, doesn't get out of balance.
As important as it is to focus on the Light and what we want to see in our lives, spiritual people need to bring themselves down to the earth level and be active in living our values.
It all comes down to whether you believe it is important for fairness for all to be demonstrated in our human political systems. Sometimes that only happens when leaders- and individual people- are willing to pick up the rocks, and assign responsibility- and accountability- where it is warranted. That is one piece of the courage that these times demand.
Why we need to get real about anti gay bullying in schools
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/debra-chasnoff/getting-real-about-bullyi_b_188043.html
thanks Debra Chasnoff for this excellent article on something that really got to me earlier this wk. Yet another beautiful young boy, who may or may not have been gay, many young people dont really know by age 11, was a victim of daily anti gay harassment in his school- you know the kind- probably "you're so gay" or "faggot!" like kids hear every day... and adults let them get away with it because they a) arent trained to deal with it b) arent supported by the school or their state doesnt ALLOW them to deal with it or c) they are unaware of the terrible damage it causes.
There is a picture of the boy in one of the articles on huffpo. He is a very good looking black athlete in a football uniform. Playing football still didnt help him escape the "faggot" epithet, apparently.
This child was I believe the 4th THIS YEAR- a middle school boy who killed himself over anti gay harassment in HIS SCHOOL- where he had to be by law, and where he was unprotected. He was not safe in his school. How tragic is that? And how many more of these kids have to die before we can deal with gay kids- or just the issue of gayness- openly in schools across our country?
School is where the homophobia runs rampant and unchecked, but clearly not without results. This happened in Massachusetts! How many states have laws, as Chasnoff says, that make it ILLEGAL to talk about homosexuality at all? So children die, and the adults who deal with them everyday are not even allowed to talk about why this happened.. isnt it time we started dealing in a more adult fashion with real life, and the presence of gay kids- as well as our own very narrow notions of what a "straight " man is, and why this is the only "acceptable " way to be? How much do we care about children's suffering?
How many more kids have to die by their own hand to end their suffering?
I hope the parents sue the school district into the ground for this. I hope other school districts hear about it and get smart, fast. But will it be enough to make up for the loss of this kid, and the others who are sure to follow?
How quickly can consciousness evolve, in this changing cusp time in which we are living? Change could happen in an instant, as we saw in VT this past few wks, if there is the stomach for it, the courage among our leaders to do their job in spite of the consequences. That is what leadership is about, isnt it?
A time in which Massachusetts can simultaneously be a haven for gay marriage --and a place where a child perceived to be glbt can still undergo daily torture --in front of adults--- and the adults around him or her just Dont Get It.
thanks Debra Chasnoff for this excellent article on something that really got to me earlier this wk. Yet another beautiful young boy, who may or may not have been gay, many young people dont really know by age 11, was a victim of daily anti gay harassment in his school- you know the kind- probably "you're so gay" or "faggot!" like kids hear every day... and adults let them get away with it because they a) arent trained to deal with it b) arent supported by the school or their state doesnt ALLOW them to deal with it or c) they are unaware of the terrible damage it causes.
There is a picture of the boy in one of the articles on huffpo. He is a very good looking black athlete in a football uniform. Playing football still didnt help him escape the "faggot" epithet, apparently.
This child was I believe the 4th THIS YEAR- a middle school boy who killed himself over anti gay harassment in HIS SCHOOL- where he had to be by law, and where he was unprotected. He was not safe in his school. How tragic is that? And how many more of these kids have to die before we can deal with gay kids- or just the issue of gayness- openly in schools across our country?
School is where the homophobia runs rampant and unchecked, but clearly not without results. This happened in Massachusetts! How many states have laws, as Chasnoff says, that make it ILLEGAL to talk about homosexuality at all? So children die, and the adults who deal with them everyday are not even allowed to talk about why this happened.. isnt it time we started dealing in a more adult fashion with real life, and the presence of gay kids- as well as our own very narrow notions of what a "straight " man is, and why this is the only "acceptable " way to be? How much do we care about children's suffering?
How many more kids have to die by their own hand to end their suffering?
I hope the parents sue the school district into the ground for this. I hope other school districts hear about it and get smart, fast. But will it be enough to make up for the loss of this kid, and the others who are sure to follow?
How quickly can consciousness evolve, in this changing cusp time in which we are living? Change could happen in an instant, as we saw in VT this past few wks, if there is the stomach for it, the courage among our leaders to do their job in spite of the consequences. That is what leadership is about, isnt it?
A time in which Massachusetts can simultaneously be a haven for gay marriage --and a place where a child perceived to be glbt can still undergo daily torture --in front of adults--- and the adults around him or her just Dont Get It.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Overview: GLBT Marriage in Vermont:; VT Politics, Governor Douglas and Tea Parties. April 16, 2009
It's been an incredibly exciting couple of months. Who knew three wks ago that we would be able to pull off this miracle??! I feel so incredibly privileged to have been a part of this history in the making... equal marriage rights for all Vermonters.
I say we because I was one of thousands of footsoldiers in this campaign. Vermont Freedom to marry got us all together in letter writing campaigns, little parties and coffee klatches all over the state. Wonderful women Sheryl (from my UU Church) and Robyn and her lover Naomi and their baby traipsed all over the state (along with so many others) to make this amazing victory happen.
My impressions center mostly around the Capital in Montpelier. You can imagine my excitement at entering this beautiful, historic building, with its soaring ceilings and long burgundy velvet drapes, its gorgeous portraits of admirable former governors, Madeleine Kunin and my personal hero Howard Dean among them..
Dean's portrait apparently was un peu de scandale when it first emerged. He is sitting by one of so many Vermont lakes, paddle in hand. Wearing hiking boots, flannel shirt, jeans. My kind of guy. Of course the traditionalists had a hard time, calling him LL Dean. Others wondering where he was paddling to, on the shore, w no boat. (they had a point there :)
Howard Dean has been my own personal hero since he presided over the first civil unions bill, brought health care to most of Vermont, and then had the guts to Speak Truth to Power in his own run for President, against the Village Idiot GW Bush back in 2004. Before the Mainstream Media (after this referred to as MSM) sabotaged his run for president with the famous Dean Scream ( a dirty trick which I'll talk about sometime). Try to imagine our country today, if the media had not sabotaged Dean and he had beaten GWBush.
Dean, in case you dont know, was the first to speak out against the war in Iraq, the first to do internet fundraising, and in his position as head of the DNC, was the one who stood up to Rahm Emanuel and refused to hand over his funds for Rahm's middle of the road (Republican -Lite) candidates. Those funds were meant for the FIFTY STATE STRATEGY- Dean's brilliant brainstorm which resulted in Obama's astounding victory.. 55% or something (dont quote me, terrible on numbers) which was doubly astounding considering that the Diebold and ES &S voting machines are still operating, which means any Dem candidate has to deal with at least 5% cheating from Repub -based hacking. But did Obama reward Dean for this? Or even acknowledge him? Au Contraire...
But I digress.
So I walked into this historic and beautifully kept building, in the style of old, gorgeous Vermont buildings, and I have to say, I was so impressed. I've been in a lot of capitals and museums and public buildings, growing up near D.C. (many field trips)..All white plaster walls, even huge coatrooms had a sense of history, and the bathrooms were stunning as well. But the crown jewel, the piece de Resistance was the Hall where the legislators sat. Soaring windows, light, a beautiful balcony, red velvet chairs in a line by the podium, facing the legislators at their desks. And the ceiling - it seemed to capture for the room - to magnify and bounce back to the audience - the energy of the desires, the hopes and dreams of our huge group of wholesome looking middle aged couples and hot singles who dreamed of one day finding that Mr or MS Right to marry. The room felt hopeful (and overheated) and excited and idealistic.
I'd been there once before, for GLBT Visibility Day. In February, hundreds of gorgeous lesbians (who I'd never seen before, but would love to see again :), and a lot of friendly gay men too, crowded into the room beside the governor's office. A small group had gone in to see Governor Douglas, but that group was so limited that you'd think no one wanted to go, large spaces remained and the cameras later picked that up on the news. You'd think he was afraid of us.
But we were and are a very happy, well behaved group. We cheered and were so excited when the senators and house members introduced the Equal Marriage Bill, and then we spent a little time lobbying our leg members in the cafeteria over lunch, and then went home. No big deal. Still, a lot of organized people, focussed like a laser beam on our rights... Not exactly the group you want to pick a fight with.
But Douglas knew better. He thought he could pick a fight with GLBTs in VT and win, and with the State workers, cut state services to the poor and disabled, protect the wealthy in VT from paying their fair share of taxes, and basically put GW's coalition of the wealthy and the angry -about -taxes, and the homophobes back together. All this and getting photographed with Obama in the Oval Office. Boggles the Mind.. My friends and I were reeling at the political savvy and the just plain evil nature of the divide and conquer game being played here.
(PS - DISCLAIMER - my opinions here are MY OWN and I am no spokesperson for VT Freedom to Marry)
So far as the Republican winning coalition goes, he may be right. Yesterday I attended (as an infiltrator from Huffpo :) a "tea party" also known among my Facebook friends as a "teabagging event". Right in downtown Rutland, the second largest city in VT. I wont get into the definition of that term, you can google it yourself if curious.
I saw the biggest crowd I've ever seen for any demo here in VT (of course I dont live in Burlington). About 200 people, all white, ranging from pissed off Libertarian Ayn Rand-type wealthy who dont believe in taxes apparently, to paranoid 9-11 conspiracy theorists, to those who hate the Fed and the Banks & want tax cuts, and all around them, poor people who hate the bank bailout - and the fact that THEY arent getting bailed out on their mortgage (and with this group of the poor I have great sympathy, but they need to stop watching Fox). Basically the greedy, the selfish in charge, surrounded by those in despair without the education to watch Rachel and Keith and figure out who REALLY is screwing them over.
Obama is very popular in VT, and racism is not cool. I saw no racist signs, unlike other states. So I'd say from the loudness and the level of passion I observed from individual participants, Obama has some problems on his plate, and his message is not getting through to those who are suffering. Fox is recruiting these people to the GOP party of NO and it would behoove the Obama admin (and hey, I worked for the guy in 3 states and gave him money) to quit bailing out the banditos at the banks and get on middle class tax relief and extend the Moratorium on Home Foreclosures! I heard a bunch of folks tell me that Middle Class taxes were going to GO UP when the Bush tax cuts expired. Rahm and O- time to quit appeasing the rich and focus on the poor and struggling who are also your constituency.
PS- This is not an "Eat the Rich" column. I have it on good authority that many of the wealthy here in this enlightened state of VT do not mind paying higher taxes in order to maintain a decent quality of life for all Vermonters. And I am told that because of Douglas' veto threat and generally hateful and divisive behavior, that he is losing the support of major conservative contributors, and we, the gay community, may finally be instrumental in seeing the end of his reign.. and that would be so good for Vermont.
More on WHAT ITS LIKE TO BE POOR IN VT to come in another column.
*************************TO BE CONTINUED**************************************
I say we because I was one of thousands of footsoldiers in this campaign. Vermont Freedom to marry got us all together in letter writing campaigns, little parties and coffee klatches all over the state. Wonderful women Sheryl (from my UU Church) and Robyn and her lover Naomi and their baby traipsed all over the state (along with so many others) to make this amazing victory happen.
My impressions center mostly around the Capital in Montpelier. You can imagine my excitement at entering this beautiful, historic building, with its soaring ceilings and long burgundy velvet drapes, its gorgeous portraits of admirable former governors, Madeleine Kunin and my personal hero Howard Dean among them..
Dean's portrait apparently was un peu de scandale when it first emerged. He is sitting by one of so many Vermont lakes, paddle in hand. Wearing hiking boots, flannel shirt, jeans. My kind of guy. Of course the traditionalists had a hard time, calling him LL Dean. Others wondering where he was paddling to, on the shore, w no boat. (they had a point there :)
Howard Dean has been my own personal hero since he presided over the first civil unions bill, brought health care to most of Vermont, and then had the guts to Speak Truth to Power in his own run for President, against the Village Idiot GW Bush back in 2004. Before the Mainstream Media (after this referred to as MSM) sabotaged his run for president with the famous Dean Scream ( a dirty trick which I'll talk about sometime). Try to imagine our country today, if the media had not sabotaged Dean and he had beaten GWBush.
Dean, in case you dont know, was the first to speak out against the war in Iraq, the first to do internet fundraising, and in his position as head of the DNC, was the one who stood up to Rahm Emanuel and refused to hand over his funds for Rahm's middle of the road (Republican -Lite) candidates. Those funds were meant for the FIFTY STATE STRATEGY- Dean's brilliant brainstorm which resulted in Obama's astounding victory.. 55% or something (dont quote me, terrible on numbers) which was doubly astounding considering that the Diebold and ES &S voting machines are still operating, which means any Dem candidate has to deal with at least 5% cheating from Repub -based hacking. But did Obama reward Dean for this? Or even acknowledge him? Au Contraire...
But I digress.
So I walked into this historic and beautifully kept building, in the style of old, gorgeous Vermont buildings, and I have to say, I was so impressed. I've been in a lot of capitals and museums and public buildings, growing up near D.C. (many field trips)..All white plaster walls, even huge coatrooms had a sense of history, and the bathrooms were stunning as well. But the crown jewel, the piece de Resistance was the Hall where the legislators sat. Soaring windows, light, a beautiful balcony, red velvet chairs in a line by the podium, facing the legislators at their desks. And the ceiling - it seemed to capture for the room - to magnify and bounce back to the audience - the energy of the desires, the hopes and dreams of our huge group of wholesome looking middle aged couples and hot singles who dreamed of one day finding that Mr or MS Right to marry. The room felt hopeful (and overheated) and excited and idealistic.
I'd been there once before, for GLBT Visibility Day. In February, hundreds of gorgeous lesbians (who I'd never seen before, but would love to see again :), and a lot of friendly gay men too, crowded into the room beside the governor's office. A small group had gone in to see Governor Douglas, but that group was so limited that you'd think no one wanted to go, large spaces remained and the cameras later picked that up on the news. You'd think he was afraid of us.
But we were and are a very happy, well behaved group. We cheered and were so excited when the senators and house members introduced the Equal Marriage Bill, and then we spent a little time lobbying our leg members in the cafeteria over lunch, and then went home. No big deal. Still, a lot of organized people, focussed like a laser beam on our rights... Not exactly the group you want to pick a fight with.
But Douglas knew better. He thought he could pick a fight with GLBTs in VT and win, and with the State workers, cut state services to the poor and disabled, protect the wealthy in VT from paying their fair share of taxes, and basically put GW's coalition of the wealthy and the angry -about -taxes, and the homophobes back together. All this and getting photographed with Obama in the Oval Office. Boggles the Mind.. My friends and I were reeling at the political savvy and the just plain evil nature of the divide and conquer game being played here.
(PS - DISCLAIMER - my opinions here are MY OWN and I am no spokesperson for VT Freedom to Marry)
So far as the Republican winning coalition goes, he may be right. Yesterday I attended (as an infiltrator from Huffpo :) a "tea party" also known among my Facebook friends as a "teabagging event". Right in downtown Rutland, the second largest city in VT. I wont get into the definition of that term, you can google it yourself if curious.
I saw the biggest crowd I've ever seen for any demo here in VT (of course I dont live in Burlington). About 200 people, all white, ranging from pissed off Libertarian Ayn Rand-type wealthy who dont believe in taxes apparently, to paranoid 9-11 conspiracy theorists, to those who hate the Fed and the Banks & want tax cuts, and all around them, poor people who hate the bank bailout - and the fact that THEY arent getting bailed out on their mortgage (and with this group of the poor I have great sympathy, but they need to stop watching Fox). Basically the greedy, the selfish in charge, surrounded by those in despair without the education to watch Rachel and Keith and figure out who REALLY is screwing them over.
Obama is very popular in VT, and racism is not cool. I saw no racist signs, unlike other states. So I'd say from the loudness and the level of passion I observed from individual participants, Obama has some problems on his plate, and his message is not getting through to those who are suffering. Fox is recruiting these people to the GOP party of NO and it would behoove the Obama admin (and hey, I worked for the guy in 3 states and gave him money) to quit bailing out the banditos at the banks and get on middle class tax relief and extend the Moratorium on Home Foreclosures! I heard a bunch of folks tell me that Middle Class taxes were going to GO UP when the Bush tax cuts expired. Rahm and O- time to quit appeasing the rich and focus on the poor and struggling who are also your constituency.
PS- This is not an "Eat the Rich" column. I have it on good authority that many of the wealthy here in this enlightened state of VT do not mind paying higher taxes in order to maintain a decent quality of life for all Vermonters. And I am told that because of Douglas' veto threat and generally hateful and divisive behavior, that he is losing the support of major conservative contributors, and we, the gay community, may finally be instrumental in seeing the end of his reign.. and that would be so good for Vermont.
More on WHAT ITS LIKE TO BE POOR IN VT to come in another column.
*************************TO BE CONTINUED**************************************
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