My old job

  I started working for a wonderful progressive non-profit (Grassroots Campaigns) three days ago. I was hired to stand on street corners and to ask everyone that passed by to get involved in the fight for gay rights. Each day, I would ask about 500 people how they were, and if they supported gay rights. About 95% of them would say yes or no over their shoulder, and just keep walking.

 Of the 25-30 people who stopped and that I really got to speak to every day, I was touched by many personal stories about how LGBT discrimination is affecting either them, or their friends or their family. I spoke to so many people that would have given me the shirt off their back to help if I would have asked. I got hugged by two gay men today who didn't have a penny to give but thanked me for taking the time to fight for gay rights, as tears welled up in their eyes.

  I heard stories from co-workers about how they thought they weren't judgemental of people, and learned through stopping people on the street (canvassing), that it's hard to break the stereotypes we all hold. One canvasser bravely asked a group of 5 rugged looking men in cowboy hats and boots to support gay rights. The cowboys stopped and said they were part of a traveling group of gay cowboys (IGRA--the International Gay Rodeo Association) who were of course supportive of gay rights, and all 5 of them happily donated. It worked the opposite way too though. I hopefully asked two very effemeninte looking men if they supported gay rights, and one of them asked me with venom in his voice, "Do you know you are going to hell? All of you are!" I was surprised to hear that from a guy in capris and a pastel sweater vest. I felt a little ashamed that I assumed he was gay. I was encouraged to work even harder by his hostility.

In the end, it turned out I wasn't very successful at the fundraising aspect of canvassing, and my boss let me go tonight. I got more fulfillment out of this job in 72 hours than I've gotten out of other jobs I've been at for years. My final hug came from my boss after he fired me. I don't have a game plan for tomorrow, but man, the last three days have been cool.

Just the facts m'aam

I've tried to keep this blog semi-apolitical, but I put so much time into researching this I decided to post it anyway.

There are stories circulating that president Obama is trying to suppress military voters from their early voting rights. I listened to the arguments made by the conservatives making these claims, as it initially sounded preposterous, and I decided to do my own research instead of relying on fact-checking sites or having Jon Stewart summarize it for me as I often do. I decided to look up the actual suit the president filed, and read the language for myself.

What I found, was that the president never filed a suit. The suit was filed by 3 complaintants: 1) Obama For America (a pro-Obama PAC) 2) The Democratic National Committee and 3) The Ohio Democratic Party versus two defendants 1) Jon Husted (Ohio Secretary of State) and 2) Mike Dewine (Ohio Attorney General).

I read the suit in it's entirety, but the 1st line of the suit didn't have any legalese, and was easy even for me to understand.

"Plaintiffs bring this lawsuit to restore in-person early voting for all Ohioans during the three days prior to Election Day – a right exercised by an estimated 93,000 Ohioans in the last presidential election."

Here's a link to the suit:

http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/electionlaw/litigation/documents/ObamaforAmericavHustedcomplaint.pdf

Now, in the interest of disclosure, 15 groups representing the military filed a motion to intervene in the suit. That led me to believe the military was opposed to the suit because it shortened the early voting rights extended to members of the military (and that's what conservatives are saying and using as an argument that Obama hates the military). So members of the military did oppose it. That was pretty concerning to me. I'm a former Marine, and if pro-military groups were concerned, so was I. So I looked up and read the motion filed by pro-military groups and actually read the motion:

"Although the relief  plaintiffs seek is an overall extension of Ohio’s early voting period, the means through which Plaintiffs are attempting to attain it—a ruling that it is arbitrary and unconstitutional to grant extra time for early voting solely to military voters and overseas citizens—is both legally inappropriate and squarely contrary to the legal interests and constitutional rights of Intervenors, their members, and the courageous men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces."

The pro-military groups filed the motion to intervene because the language of the complaint didn't distinguish that the military had extra time to vote if the suit (as written) was ruled favorably by the court. It wasn't because the military was worried that the president wanted to "suppress" the military vote. How do I know? More research: The three aforementioned democratic plaintiffs filed a motion in support of the military members intervention. Strangely it's titled, "MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF MILITARY GROUPS’ MOTION TO INTERVENE". And the language in it is very plain as well:

"Neither the substance of its Equal Protection claim, nor the relief requested, challenges the legislature’s authority to make appropriate accommodation, including early voting during the period in question, for military voters, their spouses or dependents. The question before the Court is whether, in the circumstances of this case, the State of Ohio may arbitrarily and without justification withdraw from all other Ohio eligible voters the same right they previously had to vote the weekend and Monday before Election Day."

This is about as clear as it gets. To summarize (like what I usually have Jon Stewart do for me, only now I'm doing it for you) Republicans were the ones suppressing voting in Ohio. Democrats tried to get it reinstated. Republicans lied and said that Obama was trying to suppress military votes. Military members were concerned with the language filed in the brief not distinguishing them as being able to have early voting rights. Democrats filed a motion supporting the military's motion to intervene.

Once you look at the facts and not what pundits tell you, either what you already thought was right, or what you thought was wrong. I thought I was right before, and now I know I am.

But don't rely on me and my links, look up the filing so that you also know for sure that the horse shit these people are spewing is a twisted fabricated attempt to distract us from the facts. The facts don't support that the president wants to keep the military from voting. He's actually more popular than Mitt Romney with the military, despite what republicans might have you think. Again, don't take my word for it. Look it up.

Change your perspective

I wrote this for my family newsletter.  Can't decide if I like it or not.  It turned out a little too "wordy" which is kind of distracting.  You decide.

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When promise fails and falls far short
when future dims or dreams contort;
do not to failure acquiese
aspirations youth yearned naively.

The camoflage of naivette
disguises unchanged parapet;
as what envisioned goals absconded,
never went away.

Angry cynics long despise,
what hope and wisdom rationalize;
and man's divine elucidation,
bears hollow resolution.

My favorite things

I wrote this a couple years ago, but wanted to get it on here.  Sing to the tune of "My Favorite Things".

Freshly made coffee, The Ultimate Fighter,
Not having to search too damn hard for my lighter,
Days when my work is called off due to snow,
Machines finally paying off at casinos.

Big Hawkeye wins by at least twenty-four,
When (a cop gets a guy going 90) that passed me 5 minutes before*,
Beaded partitions and big lava lamps,
Really short skirts, thongs and sexy tramp stamps.

Doing a job well, winning at poker.
Teaching my kids politicians are jokers.
When neighbors spend 90 minutes plowing snow from my drive,
and only ask for twenty bucks (though I insist on 65).

When my wife's period comes. When the kids drink a half gallon of egg nog I just got from the store 2 hours ago. When I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things, and life doesn't seem, so bad.

Weekends playing Settlers of Kattan with my dad,
When I do something dumb and my gorgeous wife doesn't get mad.
Seeing a friend on facebook I haven't spoken to in 19 years,
Watching sad movies that bring out some tears**.

Laughing at Mike Nelson on MST3k,
Fooling homophobes at work into thinking I'm gay***.
Telling the kids that the Blair Witch Project was real,
rock candy, quesadillas and my wife's Thanksgiving meal.

My kids Straight A report cards, good news from the scale,
Screaming over my wife and kids on "The Tower of Terror" ride at Disney World that "We're dropping straight into Hell!"
The Office and Andy Samburg SNL digital shorts,
Bill Maher, Howard Zinn and witty retorts.

When I find out I have an $80 dollar library fine from my mom when she took the kids to our local library on her last visit; when I look at my 401k account returns over the last 2 years, when I'm feeling sad. I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel, so bad.

Sung to the tune of "Stairway to Heaven" .




* For posterity, this hasn't happened yet, but I keep holding out hope.

** I'm not much of a cryer. Sad movies seem to do it to me. Not explaining, just saying.

*** This really is hilarious if you're there, but I can see how it might sound weird mentioned off-hand in poem limerick or song.

I'm not predjudiced, but. . .

Hate is such a rotten thing. That people think nothing of passing it down to their children just because their parents gave it to them. It's such a sad thing.

I'm sure most people have had negative experiences in their life at some time or another with a minority member. I have. But I've also had black mentors. I've had black people hug me when I was hurting. I've had black people help me when there was nothing in it for them. I've had black people pray for me with passion.

But many stories I hear are about a black person doing something lazy, illegal, or whatever. There are lazy white criminals too though. Tolerance people. Get some.

But if they can't bring themselves to not hate people they've stereotyped, then consider this: Beastiality, racketeering, serial killing, insider trading, copywright infringement, intellectual theft, counterfeitting and MANY other crimes are committed almost exclusively by white people. It reminds me of the Dave Chapelle skit about the blind black guy that joins the KKK but no one told him he's black. We all came from the same ancestors. Whether you're a christian or an athiest, then you probably believe we're all related. Think.

If you often tell negative stories about blacks or hispanics, prefacing the story with the phrase, "I'm not predjudiced, but. . ." doesn't mean you're not predjudiced. It just means you want to say something racist without openly declaring your bigotry. Silly racists.

Facebook

Most of us have reconnected with friends we've found on facebook. Someone we haven't spoken to in years and suddenly, whaddyaknow? They're the friend of a friend and pop up in your "suggested friends" list.

As a teenager I had 5 friends that meant the world to me. Bryant, Tonya, Vanessa, Missy and Jill. Like most BFF teenagers, we hung out A LOT. I friended them all on facebook and they all accepted.

Tonya wrote me back an message immediately and I could tell she was as excited to find me as I was to find her. We traded several long messages catching up about our current families and stuff that had happened to us over the last 20 years and I felt like I had a true friend in this world back in my circle.

The other 4 though accepted my friend request, but responded with little more than an innocuous comment saying hi. In one case, no comment at all.

They all have families now and clearly have moved on and that's great. I wish them the best. I have a wonderful family too and spend my time in the here and now. But I remember those days.

I remember some 30 year old staring at Jill after she turned 15 (and had filled out a little) out at a pool and wanting to stomp the perv's head in. I remember stopping a mailman from choking Bryant after Bryant called him something not-so-nice and getting drunk every weekend. I remember Missy dropping me to the floor with a surprisingly vicious right hook after I scared the crap out of her once. I remember holding hands once with Tonya on a bus and hoping the bus ride would never end. I remember making fake vomit with Vanessa one night at about 3 in the morning and dumping it on a neighbor's porch.

The fact that most of these friends could acknowledge me with nothing more than a cursory "hello" kinda hurts. I guess seeing me doesn't conjure up old memories for them. It sure does for me.

I know this is so cliche, but it's true. You can never go home again.

My Best Days

Hard to choose your best day. When my 1st kid was born. The day I got married. Running up a quarter-mile hill made of nothing but football sized rocks with the other squad leaders and drill instructor staff sergeant Pilakowski in boot camp. The day my wife and I opened the small folded piece of paper from the ultrasound tech telling us we were going to have the boy my wife had wanted for so long. The day I stood up to Rick the big bully at work. The day my dad told me he was proud of me. The 1st day I took my family to Disney World. One day in 8th grade when gorgeous little Mari-Beth Lobdell told me she needed a cute guy to hold her and put both arms around me. The day a surgeon told me he knew exactly what was wrong with me after I'd been to half a dozen doctors and specialists after spending a year and a half sick. Trying to act casual while my heart was pounding asking my wife out for the 1st time and having her respond, "How about Friday?". And lots of other days in between.