Category: the global world

Nov 06 2008

Shame on You California

I’m reposting this post from LAist by Jimmy Bramlett:

No on 8
Protesting the passage of Proposition 8. AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian

Shame on you Californians.

With the passing of Proposition 8, you have relegated me and my queer brothers and sisters (and everything in between) to the margins of society while reaping all the benefits we bestow upon you.

In one fell swoop you told us that we are not fit in your eyes as deserving the same rights as you. Even though we wouldn’t have gotten the same Federal rights thanks to Clinton’s signing of the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, you could have allowed us to take one step closer to that ever elusive goal of equality.

The campaign supporting Proposition 8 bemoaned the sanctity of marriage. How is marriage sacred anymore with divorce rates being what they are? It’s pretty unnerving that it is you heterosexuals who have made a mockery of marriage jumping in and out of it like last year’s cashmere sweater set. And now you are claiming that we will destroy the institution of marriage?

And the children. Oh God THE CHILDREN! Well never mind the Catholic Church has done more to harm children what with their priests and all. And the Mormons? Well just ask those teenage brides.

Do you really believe that children learning about gay people will convert them into card-carrying depraved homosexuals? If that were true all of my cousins would be gay. Hell, all of my neighbor’s kids would be gay.

In the end you chose to impose your beliefs on me. You think it’s wrong that I have relationships with other men, so you chose to exclude me. But to keep up appearances you let us have “domestic partnerships” that sound more like a maid’s union more than anything else.

We’re not asking for all that much. All we’re asking for is the right to be able to have the same rights when we decide to share our lives with that special person. We’re not demanding the Catholic church, the Mormon church, the Synagogues, the local preacher to marry us. We just want equal rights, not that other water fountain.

So as happy as I was Tuesday night that America has voted in the first black man as President, part of me is very disappointed that us queers are still not afforded the same rights as everyone else as proscribed by the Constitution.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2008/11/shame-on-you-california/

Nov 05 2008

Prop 8 Challenges

The first legal challenge to Prop 8 will be announced later today:

Here’s the first press release of the morning regarding the passage
of Proposition 8, the ban on same sex marriages in California. It comes
from the law offices of Gloria Allred:

Attorney Gloria Allred and her clients, Robin Tyler and Diane Olson,
will hold a news conference today November 5, 2008 at 12:00 noon at
6300 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1500 L.A. to announce a new lawsuit against
Prop. 8. Prop. 8 intended to ban same gender marriages in California.

Ms. Allred and her law firm represented the couple in their victory
before the California Supreme Court. Her clients became the first to
marry in Los Angeles County in June.

Ms. Allred will file the new lawsuit today with the California
Supreme Court on behalf of the couple.  The new lawsuit will contain a
new and controversial legal argument as to why Prop. 8 is
unconstitutional.

Copies of the lawsuit will be provided to the press at the news conference.

(from: http://www.insidesocal.com/electioncountdown/2008/11/a-challenge-to-prop-8-emerges.html)

More info from the LA Times

Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2008/11/prop-8-challenges/

Nov 05 2008

Despair

This makes me incredibly sad.  It even passed in LA County.  I cannot believe we are writing discrimination into the state constitution (along with Arizona and Florida in this election cycle).  I just cannot understand how two people who love each other threaten your “marriage.”  For me, these kind of laws and amendments do more to destroy the sanctity of marriage than anything else.  It makes me ashamed to be a Christian and even remotely be associated with this kind of discrimination (as the majority of the funding for Prop 8 came from the Catholic and Mormon churches).  I cannot imagine a God (or Jesus) not embracing us all…Black, White, Hispanic and yes, gay or straight.  So yes, while I’m extremely hopeful with the election of Barack Obama as President, I’m extremely disappointed about the results of Prop 8.  I for one will be praying that this can be changed soon.

prop 8.PNG

Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2008/11/despair/

Nov 05 2008

Hope!

nov 5 2008 latimes.PNG

Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2008/11/hope/

Nov 01 2008

An Open Letter to History…

by Saul Williams:

Click here for more videos from Vote For Change

Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2008/11/an-open-letter-to-history/

Oct 31 2008

When rhino’s escape!!!!

ahh…japan…

Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2008/10/when-rhinos-escape/

Oct 29 2008

The cost of driving…

  • rhino tweeted, “Diesel at the gas station next to work cost less than regular gas. Plus a fill-up was less than $50…first time since getting the car.”

Diesel was $2.89/gallon.
Regular Gas was $2.95/gallon.

I haven’t seen that in a long time.  Just a month ago I was paying more than Premium Gas for Diesel.  Yay for reduced gas costs right as my commute increased.  Plus I’m getting better mileage since most of the commute is “highway” driving.  Gotta love going in the opposite direction as most of the rush hour traffic.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2008/10/the-cost-of-driving/

Oct 24 2008

I voted!!! How about you?

Its blurry, because its from my mobile phone…but its my ballot stub.  Filled out my ballot yesterday and dropped it in the mail this morning.

ballot.jpg

Don’t forget to vote!!! 

Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2008/10/i-voted-how-about-you/

Oct 08 2008

Only in LA…Psychiatry: an Industry of Death Museum

Near such prominent Hollywood landmarks such as the ArcLight Theaters and Amoeba Records, is Psychiatry: an Industry of Death Museum hosted by The Citizens Commission on Human Rights.  If you are thinking, “this sounds like something from the Church of Scientology,” you’d be right.  They make no effort to hide their connection to the Church on either the website or at the museum.

The museum is basically a series of short videos explaining the evils of the psychiatric industry.  There are also exhibits showing various pieces of equipment used in psychiatric institutions.  A large focus is placed on connecting psychiatry to the holocaust, and the suicides/overdoses of prominent figures in Hollywood/the arts.

In the end, it feels a lot like propaganda.  Taking events out of context, magnifying abuses, and using leaps of logic to get a specific point of view across.  Are there valid points in the exhibit? Sure.  But I feel they get lost in the presentation.

I do think, however, that we as a society (and by we I mean America) look for the easy way out too often.  That we expect some pill to fix us, when the mind and self are much more complex than that.  That the mental health industry is just as prone to greed and abuse, as many other industries. 

Is psychiatry complete BS as the folks at the CCHR would have you believe.  I don’t think so.  But I think there does need to be more of a balance in how we view and treat mental illness.  

Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2008/10/only-in-lapsychiatry-an-industry-of-death-museum/

Aug 28 2008

America’s Strength

“People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than the example of our power.”

–Bill Clinton at the Democratic National Convention 8/27/08

Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2008/08/americas-strength/