Early thanks

This week we commemorated Columbus Day. It is called by other names in some places these days, but observed nevertheless.
I certainly understand the animosity towards the historical meaning of this day, but I think it should be celebrated anyway.
The European concept of the 'discovery' has long since been discredited rightly, but Columbus still began something wonderful, more wonderful really, than he could have foreseen.
Many progressives denigrate America, and it is true, it has never lived up to its image, but the image is worthwhile even so. To be realistic, we have to expect that we won't live up to it, because it is so lofty. THAT is the greatness of America - not that we are so wonderful, but that we set wonderful goals for ourselves, goals that were not set before.
The striving towards those goals is what makes us exceptional, if anything does. To be sure, many other countries can claim equal conditions to ours, equal freedoms and material conditions, but do they have a civic creed like ours?
This is where we can still lead if we want to.
It demands that we don't give in to our lower impulses - fear, greed, lack of care for those outside our borders - which one party seems to have decided to make catering to its raison d'etre.
It demands that we remain aware of what America means and how much it  takes to be a real American.
Congratulations, Chris.

The Prairie really is Grand

I had cause this week to feel really proud of my adopted state of Texas, thanks to two girls in Grand Prairie. They brought a painful episode of my childhood to a complete close with a gesture that I never got.
Like their classmate, when I was in school (junior high for me) in Florida, I was played a cruel joke by being 'nominated' for class princess. It was all a joke to those who put my name in, and none of them voted for me. Unlike their classmate, I had no one to stand up for me and show the bullies what being human means.
Like their classmate, I found much nicer people when I moved to Texas, and that is why I don't live in Florida anymore, even though a lot of my family is there.
Thanks, girls, you have helped people you don't even know.

Thanks, but no thanks.

The one good thing I can say about W is that he has stayed out of politics since he left office.
Unfortunately, it seems his supporters don't have that kind of consideration.
While the man himself has not commented on Obama's current conundrum, they are digging up some words from the past and inserting them now.
In spite of the fact that he got us into this mess to begin with, and in spite of the bigger mess his officials made of Iraq once they got there, and in spite of the fact that he abandoned Afghanistan to go fight the war he really wanted, which gave al-quaida more time to work its will, they now insist he was downright prophetic in saying that we should not leave until every general said we were done.
Of course, they forget how much the American public wanted us to leave, how tired they were of the wars the Bush administration had gleefully committed us to. And they forget that Obama tried to leave a larger force, but the Iraqi government wouldn't agree to it.
We should have done it anyway, I guess.
Bush was willing to ignore the facts to go into war, and his supporters are willing to ignore the facts to make him wise and keep us there for who knows how long.
Maybe they should all take up painting.

Garner/Garner

We lost two Garners recently.
James was a great loss. He was there all through my childhood, a steady presence and quite a favorite of mine, from Maverick to Murphy's Romance. He was masculine without being overbearing, laid back without being purposeless. I will miss him.
But he lived a long and successful life, and one imagines, had at least his share of happiness.
Eric Garner was another story. Whether he was selling 'loosies' or not, he had a hard life. He  obviously was NOT successful and he had a lot of conflict in his short life. He had a history with the police and in the end, was horribly mistreated by the group of police which ended his life.
Let me point out, I am usually on the side of the police when a controversy arises. They have a hard job, dealing with the worst of humanity and putting themselves in danger many times and we need to give them some benefit of the doubt. Most of us don't know how we would react in their difficult situations, but certainly we would expect some understanding.
When the police tell you to drop your weapon, it is YOUR fault if you get hurt if you don't.
Unless you have reason to believe you are dealing with a bad cop, it is YOUR fault if you get hurt when you run from the police.
However, this situation is quite different. This man was accused of a minor crime, was unarmed and it is really a stretch to say he was resisting arrest. Even if he was, he was not violent and the number of police around him should have been enough to subdue him without an illegal choke hold and kneeing him to the ground for an extended period of time.
At the very least all of the officers involved should be disciplined, several of them should be fired and the legal case against them would be an easy win.
I am ashamed of them AND of the union who supported them. Unions have a duty to their members, but it DOES NOT extend this far. Not even close. Whoever the spokesman and decision makers are for this union are the reason that everyday people don't like unions. They are giving us all a bad name. Other unions should take a stand against them.
The best thing I can say is thank goodness we have the current administration in NYC, because under some of the recent administrations, this would be swept under the rug.
Godspeed, James and Eric.

Real feminism

OK, I confess, I have been watching old reruns of Buffy the vampire slayer.
One of the video comments got under my skin though.
The young woman commenting implies that feminists believe that women are/need to be stronger, unflawed, that seeing women as just ordinary, not better or worse than men is somehow anti-or at least unfeminist.
I strongly disagree. Seeing men and women as equal is true feminism. Insisting that women are always in every way better than men  is foolish and totally impractical, leading to great frustration and most likely abandonment of the cause completely.
Women DO NOT have to be perfect to deserve equal rights.

Listen closely

Many people are upset over Rick Perry's comments on gays/alcoholism, but I think they are missing the point. Buried in his comment is his suggestion that homosexuality is a genetic condition i.e. something your are born with. Seems to me this is a real step forward for a Republican like him.
For a long time it was said that sexuality was not qualified to be a protected status like color because it could be changed. Is this a back step from that?
Something to think about.

Security?

It is truly amusing, in a black humor kind of way, to see the investment companies all over my TV talking about the need for a 'secure retirement'.

Funny, I thought that's what we had in our country until they came along and persuaded legislators and business leaders to destroy it in favor of their plans.

And for all of those who say we don't need unions anymore, that they accomplished their goals, so now we can move on, this is a good example of why that's wrong.

Yes, unions did improve the conditions for working people - and those who bad mouth them should remember that - but the battle is NEVER over.

Just like the battle for civil rights or for the environment. When one side wins, the other side doesn't just give up and go away. They are still their fighting for their goals just as strongly.

Between complacency and the belief in the ugly propaganda and yes, some misdeeds by some people in some unions, the other side has managed to start chipping away at the gains unions fought so hard for and some people died for not very long ago.

What will it take to change the attitude back? I don't know.

People are starting to wake up to how lopsided things have gotten in this country in the last few decades, but if the vote in Tennessee is any indicator, they are still not making the connection between unions and a solution.

That simply must be done, because the only way the common people are going to be able to take on the big boys is by banding together. That is uniting, that is unionizing.

Any day now, people.