Proposition Eight Backlash:

I want to make it absolutely clear, as I have before on this blog, that I feel gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people should have the same rights and privileges afforded to all other people. That includes the same caveat I include for all others: As long as they harm none, and do not engage in incest or other criminally deviant manners that cause the harm of others, especially children. Examples of what I consider "criminally deviant" includes bestiality and some other acts that I am probably better off not knowing or even thinking about.

First, I saw a video on Yahoo that pointed me to a disturbingly new neo-McCarthyist reaction to the passage of Proposition 8 in California. The website is AntiGayBlacklist.com, and I find this deeply inappropriate on multiple levels. This is a nation of free speech and expression, and I find the actions of the creators of this website are engaging in the same type of hate-mongering for which Senator Joe McCarthy became infamous. Also, they are endangering the welfare and livelihoods of others why? Because they disagree with what they did and said? If they cannot understand the depth of the wrongness of what they did in creating this website, I don't know how to communicate it to them. This is a nation of laws, of reasoned debate, and of peaceful protest, but this goes well over that line into straight vigilantism, and that's wrong. That's damned wrong, and this should not go unchallenged in the courts. Furthermore, what if someone is on that list who did not contribute, or who has a name similar or identical to another individual on that list? Spreading the seeds of hate is WRONG, whether that individual be straight or gay, white or black, male or female, and that is PRECISELY what this website does by design and as a nature of its very existence.

Second, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) have taken an undue amount of criticism over this issue. This is a matter that is very close to my heart, given my background. First, let's look at the numbers: The Mormon church has just over 13 million adherents, more than half of whom live outside of Utah. Can I get a show of hands of who actually believes that 6,068,393 Mormons live in California AND agreed with the premise of Proposition 8? This is a church whose main ideological divide is between conservatives and libertarians, with a few liberals in the mix. Second, who honestly believes that, of those, a significant number were African-Americans, a demographic that supported the measure by a ratio of 2 to 1, were also Mormon or influenced by the ads? Look at the exit polling. What of the initiative in Arkansas that passed and denied homosexuals the right to adopt, this a Southern "Bible Belt" state? Or the anti-gay marriage initiative that passed with just over 60% of the vote in Florida or another one in Arizona? Why aren't Rosie O'Donut and Whoopi Goldberg protesting the black churches and Hispanic Catholic churches in California, who voted for the measure by as much as 70%? Why aren't they protesting the largest demographics of support for Proposition 8? Well, because they feel they can get away with it. The Southern Baptists and other conservative evangelicals, and conservative Catholics, who are every bit as culpable as a sect as the Mormons, don't care for Mormons all that much, and besides, they're too big a group to risk alienating. Also, the Mormon church has a clear hierarchy and one leader, like the Catholics. Ask a Southern Baptist to tell you who the leader of their faith is. They'll rant about "my pastor" while not knowing the answer, because there is none. Ask a Mormon to tell you who the leader of their faith is. We'll tell you Thomas S. Monson, and that his immediate predecessor was Gordon B. Hinckley. Some of us may know the entire list of them, going back to Joseph Smith, Jr. As for me, I know a few, but I would really need Wikipedia or the LDS website to read off the names.

Now that we know how and why the various responses have been inappropriate, the question is simple: Where do we go from here? Court challenges seem to be the appropriate response, and maybe some civil disobedience akin to what that San Francisco mayor did by marrying same-sex couples before the court case that briefly legalized gay marriage. Vigilantism and targeting those not nearly as responsible for the passage of Proposition 8 are not the answer.

The deeper cause of this problem is an idea that was first expressed in Plato's Republic, and later given additional form by Alexis de Tocqueville. I refer, of course, to the tyranny of the majority. As long as none are being harmed by the objectionable action/inherent nature of an individual, it is absolutely wrong for people to have the ability to vote on the basic civil rights of the minority. Imagine if the civil rights era had, instead of being decided in the courts, been placed before the vote of the several states in the South. Looking at the 1960 Census data, page 26 of that file, 20,491,443 Americans were non-white, and 158,831,732 Americans were white. If you strip away those under 24, since the voting age was not lowered to 18 until July 1, 1971, you have 9,849,260 non-white people of voting age and 89,667,738 white people of voting age, give or take, for a non-white percentage of just under 10% people of voting age. For the effects of the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, KS, decision, the Rosa Parks case, and any of a number of other instances too numerous to mention to have occurred, 100% of all non-white Americans and roughly 45% of white Americans would have had to vote for the ratification of what we now, rightfully, consider basic human rights, and we would have been stuck with a hodgepodge of laws varying by state. I would not want to accuse 45% of all white Americans in 1960 of racism, but I am as aware as you are of the power of the status quo. People usually don't like change, even when it's good for them. If I were a betting person, I would not have liked the chances of 45% of people voting in favor of the greater good.

Frankly, I'm appalled that the African-American community, by and large, choose not to see that others are facing the same problems that their ancestors or they themselves have faced over the years. One would think that they, above all, should have a special sympathy for them, instead of voting against others' rights by a 2 to 1 margin. This is wrong, and moreover, they above all others should KNOW it's wrong. I'm not blaming the passage of Proposition 8 on any one group, but if it's good for Whoopi to make an ass out of herself in public by making sweeping generalizations about a large group of people, the least I can do is improve on her tainted example by at least acknowledging that not all members of another group are culpable.

This song isn't quite related to this topic, but it's close enough for my purposes. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz8wU9DdbqU

FREEDOM!!!

The above image is for use as a parody, knowing Mel Gibson's rabid anti-Semitism and other less than pleasant personality traits. Still, the image of William Wallace refusing to bow to the English crown is indelible.

Intellectually, I knew yesterday would turn out roughly the way it actually turned out. However, try telling my heart that. I was on pins and needles, and though I succumbed to the need for sleep for a while, I was awake when NBC called the election for President-elect Obama. I will forever be grateful that I was awake to see that.

As I watched McCain's concession speech, I must admit that the petty part of me enjoyed watching him accept his defeat far more than was healthy or mature. Still, he did so with something he showed precious little of during his campaign, especially during the last several months: Dignity, graciousness, and honor. I congratulate McCain on showing us the person he has proven capable of pretending to be.

For President-elect Obama, watching his victory speech, my eyes watered up, and once again, I saw the man whose ideas and ability I quickly learned to love almost a year ago. I saw the graciousness in his victory and the vision he set out for our future. I saw and heard the determination he had to set things right in this nation, and his honesty about its difficulty and what would be necessary to bring it about. As I reviewed his record in the Senate, I also saw his dedication to the highest principles upon which our nation was founded and to the right of due process, regardless of the race of the accused. Last night, I saw a great man giving a great speech and being very frank about the great challenges that lie ahead. I can say with the fullness of my heart that I have never been prouder of our great nation than I was last night and will be in the days and months to come. Congratulations, Mr. President-elect. May your days be blessed, your troubles few, your health as strong as your character, and your wisdom and courage indomitable. As a child, I pledged allegiance to America, and I'm glad to see her heart was not dead. It was merely sleeping, and now that America is awake, I cannot help feeling that great things are coming.

In closing, I'm including a music video that pretty well expresses my joy at the outcome of yesterday's presidential election. Just try to listen to this and not dance a little bit in your chair. I dare ya. :)

Final prediction: Election 2008

With less than two hours until the first polls open, I'm in the mood for a little bit of prognosticating. Of course, I could be full of shit, but what else is new? :P

I think I'll go with a conservative estimate and pick Obama 349, McCain 189. I predict the following states will break for Obama: Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, and for my upset special, North Carolina.

From this blogger's chair, the greatest potential for an upset in McCain's favor is probably Colorado at 9 electoral votes, but if this happens, I will be very surprised.

In the Senate race, I predict a 58 seat majority for the Democrats. The seat I most want to see gone is Chambliss of Georgia. The "man" is an absolute disgrace and one of the least honorable men to serve in the Senate in more than a generation.

Finally, I predict a huge Democratic Party majority in the House. I would prefer to see a different Speaker of the House, but I'll take what I can get, and that's a blue tide.

To those who believe in a higher power, now is probably a good time to pray for Senator Obama and Senator Biden's victory. For those who do not, hope is a very powerful thing, especially when it inspires the action necessary to fix the problems that ail us. Get out tomorrow, vote, and enjoy an adult beverage. :)

Enjoy this mashup of classics.

Finding a New Home: A letter to Republicans

With the increasingly obvious disintegration of the Republican Party, much like its predecessor, the question becomes, "Now what?" The unholy alliance between the various factions is fracturing, with the paleos becoming the voice of the modern GOP, much to the consternation and disgust of the intellectual wings of the party. The most recent, and damning yet, defection was by none other than C.C. Goldwater, granddaughter of Barry Goldwater. I found her criticism of McCain to be particularly poignant, because she was talking about the disintegration of something her grandfather helped build but would not recognize today. On second thought, maybe this isn't a "new" defection, per se. I just ran across this website, and I found it very amusing and on point.

For the moderates in the GOP, and the Democratic Party for that matter, I have discovered a political party that may serve you well. They are moderate in both social and fiscal issues, and their platform seems quite sensible. Also, they have a name that should be familiar to students of American history, with a twist. I refer to the Modern Whig Party. Looking at their platform, I have trouble seeing why they aren't huge already, and if they are well-led, I see a far greater potential for their growth than even the Libertarian Party in their heyday.

For Independent-minded voters, I include the Independence Party of America, not to be confused with the paleoconservative Alaskan Independence Party with which we have become too familiar with the nomination of the Trojan Moose for Vice-President. The thing I like the most about this group is their refusal to rely on any one set ideology to fix the problems that face us. I find that rational, sane, and refreshing. I also have hope for a bright future for this party.

Just for shits and giggles, I'm also including the Personal Choice Party. I don't know why I'm including them, but I'll cite blogger's prerogative. For fuck's sake, they even had Marilyn Chambers (yes, THAT Marilyn Chambers) as their VP candidate back in '04. They seem to be an ideological libertarian party, whose belief in non-interventionism stretches as far as any I've seen aside from the Voluntaryist movement. I think they're a bit odd, but I find it hard not to like their thinking.

I mentioned the Libertarian Party, and I admit that I say this with some sadness and fondness for what they once were. Still, for those whose main issue is free trade and getting the government out of as many aspects of our lives as possible, this is your party. Their biggest problem is a penchant for infighting which has stunted their growth significantly over the decades of their existence. For years, I have hoped they would get their act together, but that hope is dead. The moderates have long since jumped ship for the GOP and the Democratic Party, and I'm one of them. The reason: Not only have the inmates started to run the asylum, they have torn down the asylum brick by brick. How else can you defend their choice of Bob Barr as their presidential candidate?

Finally, for the Dominionists, Christian Reconstructionists, and Christian "conservatives," as well as Mona Charen and her fellow victims of intellectual Stockholm Syndrome, I have found a fitting hell for you: the Constitution Party, a place where you may fling shit at each other and preach damnation at those who would oppose you. Forget Article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli, which clearly states that the United States of America is NOT a Christian nation. Forget the sad irony of the following quote by President George Washington, "...the Government of the United States...gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance...May the children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and figtree, and there shall be none to make him afraid. May the father of all mercies scatter light and not darkness in our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in his own due time and way everlastingly happy." No, continue on your Dominionist rants and further marginalize yourselves, and leave the heavy lifting for those who truly deserve the appellation "conservative".

In closing, enjoy the music, but only if you like metal. I don't know if I've already posted this song, but I've had it stuck in my head all day. 6/8 time at 65 dotted-quarter-notes per minute for almost six minutes. Damn! How do they have any energy after this one song?

What is the most sacred thing in your life?

Believe it or not, this is not necessarily a question of religion. I am aware of the many atheists and agnostics, or few as it were given how few people actually hit my blog at all, who visit this tiny corner of the blogosphere. I have done some thinking recently, and I thought about my faith, my family, and my childhood, and what exactly I value. When I really gave it some thought, my answer somewhat surprised me, and it had nothing to do with the Bible or the other holy books or magazines of my faith. It didn't even have anything to do with football, my "other" religion and the one I've been the most faithful to over the years. No, one of the things which I find most holy is made of thirteen ingredients, and it's not because of what those ingredients make, although it is quite good. It may not even be the best of its type, but it, or rather, what it symbolizes, is holy to me. Yes, it's a cake, but more than that, it is the expression of a father's love for his son in one of the only ways he could really express it, and it is that love, as symbolized by a cake, that I find holy above everything else. It is the nights my mother stayed up all night and took care of me when I was sick as a child that I find holy above all, or when my other family members and I would play as children, or when I would smell the pleasant aromas associated with homemade bread making, or the pungency of tomato plants in our garden, or any of a number of great memories from my childhood. If I'm ever asked who my god is, I suppose I will have to be honest and say that some of my gods are my family, regardless (and sometimes because) of their flaws. I may not always like them, but they will forever have my love and respect, though worship, well, not so much.

I'm sorry about the introspective mood. It happens from time to time. In the meantime, enjoy the music. For today, I'm including a bonus video since both seemed to fit my mood quite well.

Answers, and a letter to Senator McCain:

Governor Palin, the answers are as follows: Roman Abramovich and Roman Kopin are the former and current governors of Chukotka, respectively. Dmitri Medvedev is the current President of the Russian Federation. Dennis Fentie is the current Premier of the Yukon Territory. Geraldine van Bibber is the current Commissioner of the Yukon Territory. Gordon Campbell is the current Premier of British Columbia. Steven Point and Iona Campagnolo are the current and former Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, respectively. On the place names, the correct answers were Yukon, Chukotka, Sakhalin, and Kamchatka. Of these, Sakhalin comes closest, but Alaska still has a slightly higher population.

For the fillers, Roman Jakobson was a Russian linguist who passed away back in 1982 when you were playing beer pong at your sorority. Vsevolod Abramovich was an early Russian aviator who died in 1913. Danila Medvedev is a Russian futurologist. Dennis Leary is one of my favorite comedians/comedic actors. Geraldine "Geri" Halliwell is better known as Sexy Spice of the Spice Girls. Greg Campbell is a not particularly great cricket player from Australia. Steven Soderbergh is one of the highest grossing movie directors of all time whose work includes "Erin Brockovich," "Oceans Eleven," "Solaris," and "sex,lies, and videotape". Finally, Iona Nikitchenko was the judge for the Soviet Union during the Nuremberg Trials. The filler place names are all parts of Russia.

Finally, the letter to Senator McCain. Enjoy.

Senator McCain, I hope this finds you well. By now you must be aware that your campaign is floundering. There is little you can do except tarnish your legacy; yet even the hope of avoiding that is in vain. Your crude attempts to excessively link Senator Obama to Bill Ayers have served only to spark hatred and fear. This is wrong, and you know it is wrong. While Bill Ayers and Senator Obama have worked together in the past, it has been only infrequently and for a short duration. The causes for which they worked together: education reform and anti-poverty efforts. What kind of bastard would help kids and poor people? That was a little thing called "sarcasm", by the way. Senator Obama was only eight years old at the time of the Weather Underground's most infamous acts. You know this, yet you persist in your dishonorable attacks on your fellow Senator.

You claim you will fix the economy, but how can your word be trusted? You were part of the Keating Five who assisted in causing the Savings and Loans collapse of the 1980s. Furthermore, your push for deregulation helped cause the current meltdown. You have admitted your ineptitude on this issue in the past, yet you claim you can fix this? I do not believe you, and the American people do not believe you. This is evidenced by your poll numbers. Why else would your best surrogate, Sarah Palin, be in West Virginia instead of a battleground state like Ohio?

It is as though you are reversing the course Thomas Dewey took in 1944 and 1948. In 1944, Dewey made extreme and unfair claims about his opponent, FDR, not unlike what you have done this year. In 1948, he took the self-serving "principled" stand you took in 2000. In one thing, however, Thomas Dewey and you are united: Your attempts to achieve the highest office in our land will have been unsuccessful. The time has come for your shameless self-promotion to come to an end. It will be with a song in my heart that I and millions of my fellow Americans will vote on November 4th to end your career. After this event, I wish you a long life and the wisdom to think about what led you to this point. That said, my hopes on the latter are muted by your stubborn refusal to learn from your past mistakes. The future is now. Your time is past. Enjoy your obsolescence. I know I will. And for those who are still continuing their drinking game from your last debate and that of your running mate, I have two things to say: "my friends" and "maverick".

Enjoy the music. The music is, fittingly enough, "Everybody Loves a Loser" by Morcheeba.

Questions for Governor Palin:

You claim that you have foreign policy experience because you are the executive of a state that borders Canada and is close to Russia. Being such a great foreign policy expert, perhaps you can tell me which of the following people you may have had cause to meet during your tenure, and why. If you have not met these people, please provide a reason.

Roman Abramovich
Roman Jakobson
Roman Kopin
Vsevolod Abramovich
Danila Medvedev
Dmitri Medvedev
Dennis Fentie
Dennis Leary
Geraldine Van Bibber
Geraldine Halliwell
Gordon Campbell
Greg Campbell
Steven Point
Steven Soderbergh
Iona Campagnolo
Iona Nikitchenko

Do you recognize some of these names, Governor Palin? Do you know who these people are? I'll even give you a hint: Eight of the people listed above have served in the governments of your immediate neighbors during your brief tenure as governor. The rest are famous or infamous for other reasons, though one of those who served in your neighbors' governments is also infamous in his or her own right.

For extra credit, I have a list of place names. I'm not including British Columbia since even a child could get that one right.

Chuvashia
Yakutia
Yukon
Yugra
Chukotka
Sakha
Sakhalin
Kalmykia
Kamchatka

Of these, which are the four closest to Alaska, and do any of them have a population greater than that of your state?

Given the difficulty you may experience answering this question, I must ask one question: What foreign policy experience do you bring to the table? What foreign officials have you met for more than a brief photo op? I'm not asking about heads of state and heads of government. I'm asking about your counterparts in Canada and Russia.

Give this some thought, and get back to me. I'll be here. In the meantime, CRANK THIS SHIT UP!

The winner of the Sept. 27 debate:

This is a quick little post based on a rather pleasant trip to the Yahoo political dashboard. First, a brief rundown of what's happened. Obama is up 5% in Colorado, 6% in New Mexico, 5% in Wisconsin, 5.6% in Minnesota, and over 6% in the following key states: Michigan, Iowa, and Pennsylvania. All of that is the appetizer. Here's the meat of it: Florida has shifted to a 3% Obama lead from a solid McCain lead. Nevada has shifted from weak McCain to a 0.5% Obama lead. McCain's lead in Indiana has shrunk to 2.4%, and his lead in Missouri has shrunk to 1.7%. Virginia has shifted from solid McCain to a 2.5% Obama lead, and North Carolina has shifted from solid McCain to a 0.3% Obama lead according to RealClearPolitics.com. These polls about who performed better or who got the better digs in or other psychological aspects of it, while interesting, do not carry anywhere near the significance of the electoral map. Psychology is important, and I don't mean to diminish its value, especially in presidential politics. However, the most important measure of its impact is found in the electoral map. It is for this reason I address these polls instead of the "Who do you think won last Friday?" poll questions.

I have created a new scenario that is plausible based on the current data. It exceeds the previous high-water mark for my optimism about Obama's chances. The states I gave to Obama were plausible, and the states I gave McCain were plausible. I think the name I gave this scenario says it all.

Enjoy. I can't embed this song, but I can provide a link. :) I don't know how applicable it is to this post, but it's just good music.

A good weekend, a bad day, and a religious experience:

First, the good weekend: CNN polls scored the debate 51-38 in favor of Obama. Obama did not score a knockout, but he did get some good licks in, including the best shot of the night. Also, today's issue of USA Today had some very encouraging numbers for the junior Senator from Illinois. And that's not even counting what I noticed last night on RealClearPolitics, with North Carolina joining Virginia in the very slightly BLUE category. Even if that doesn't hold, that forces McCain and the RNC to use critical resources that are even more necessary in Ohio, Florida, and Michigan. Excellent weekend for us Democrats.

I don't think I have to explain how today was a bad day. If you have CNN, you pretty well know that the Dow and the S&P tanked today. I'm not sold on the bailout. However, things don't look pretty, and something has to be done. If that's a bailout or a payback scenario, so be it, but in the coming years, the absolute number ONE priority for this nation must be getting out of debt. The National Debt is approaching $10 TRILLION. That's pretty scary. To put that into perspective, last year's GDP was $13.81 trillion, which leaves us with a debt hovering around 70% of our annual GDP and rising. This is a national security issue, a human rights issue, an economic issue, and more. Hell, it touches on pretty much every single priority we have and need to have, and over the last eight years, the only thing that's happened is its growth. I want the United States of America to exist for the generations to come, but the national debt has become an existential problem. This deeply troubles me.

On a lighter note, I'm finally posting a video of the religious experience I had this weekend. This pretty well covers it. Enjoy. :)

Some scenarios to consider:

All of the states for which I have changed the alignment are within the margin of error. It is worth noting that, in Florida, Obama has narrowed McCain's lead from 5% to 2.8% in less than one week, and his lead in Colorado, Michigan, and other key states have expanded again.

Let's examine four possible scenarios I consider well within the realm of possibility.

Scenario 1 has Obama 273, McCain 265, and merely requires that Obama keep all of his current holdings.

Scenario 2 has Obama 298, McCain 240, and requires that Obama keep all of his current holdings except for Maryland (could substitute Maryland for Colorado, which would be more likely and be +1 Obama compared to this) AND take Ohio and North Carolina, though North Carolina could be substituted with Virginia for a -2 Obama and +2 McCain. This is not quite a landslide, but a significant defeat and probably the end of McCain's career in politics.

Scenario 3 is about as optimistic as you'll ever find me with Obama winning 320 Electoral Votes to McCain's 218. This requires Obama to maintain his current holdings and gain Ohio and Florida. While this would not qualify as a textbook definition of a landslide, well, a 102 point win in a 538 point contest isn't anything to laugh at. This would almost certainly end McCain's career in politics, if not in deed, then by every practical measure.

Finally is my Nightmare Scenario, which has Senator Obama tied with Senator McCain at 269 Electoral Votes each. This would require simply Obama losing Colorado's 9 Electoral Votes and gaining Nevada's 5 Electoral Votes. This would give McCain the win for the reasons outlined in my previous response, unless more states' House delegations go blue. The political fallout for the loser would be unknown, but the fallout for this nation if McCain wins would be grave. While the odds of Obama losing Colorado drop daily, I included this scenario to show exactly how little it would take to turn this election cycle into a nightmare. Two little changes, one positive, one negative, can lead to a disastrous outcome.

Now, instead of music, I think I'll close this post with some humor to lessen the blow of my last comment, and to remind us of some freedoms we've lost. Enjoy.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die