rivervision

i forgot.  on sunday new york city will celebrate 40 years since the stonewall rebellion.  i don’t like violence, but this violent spurred a movement that has since saved countless lives from ending in suicide.  i wish we could say that these suicides have ended, but i will say that things have gotten better. 

in the 15 years since i began identifying as queer (technically i’m bisexual, but i hate that word) things have gotten better.  i remember when ellen came out on her show and will and grace started. i was lucky to have come out in atlanta.  i bought my first literature at charis books and more and also spent lots of time at outwrite books.   one of the highlights of my very first pride celebration was getting to hear coretta scott king speak.  if you celebrate dr. king and his legacy you must embrace the fact that this was a man who truly believed in rights for all of us, not just the few - you have too, or else you are not honoring his memory.

i believe that things will only continue to get better. i believe that in my near lifetime that my church will approve ordination of gay and lesbian pastors, teachers in public schools will be able to be out, and the numbers of suicides caused by the shame that so many people feel because they continued to be taught that they are not okay will go down. i even believe that people who run organizations like focus on the family, the lds church, and the oregon family council will come to realize how wrong they are and that God really is a God of peace and love and that he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, here to remind us that everyone is a part of His Kingdom. then this issue of marriage will no longer be an issue and the suicide rate of young queer kids will be 0. what a great day that will be. i can’t wait to celebrate that.

apologies for the negative tones of these posts.  it is what it is.  and dad, i’d appreciate if you skipped this too, i really don’t need you worrying about me any more than i fear you already do.  and if you do read these and then you ask me about how i’m doing i’ll lie, lie through my teeth.  :P  (again, no advice.. please).

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earlier today it was raining here in logan, but 3 hours ago the rain quickly turned to snow and all became quiet in the valley. if it keeps up like this all night we’ll have a lot of snow on the ground. i am not one to predict, but it should be significant. here is a blurry picture of max looking at the snow with me out my bedroom window:

i was planning on it, i was planning on watching the v.p. debate because i figured that p@lin would make one gaff after the other and there was no way that i could get all fired up about the wrongness of the republican point of view.  unfortunately though, i tuned in a bit late and so i didn’t turn it on until they were covering israel.  ugh.  because on israel obama and mccain and pretty much aligned with each other on the topic - they pretty much view the topic of israel the same way the majority of this country does - we don’t care that our tax dollars are being used to terrorize a citizenry who’s land we took and further pay for a holocaust (oh yes, i said that word in relation to what israel and the west is doing to the palestinians) of the palestinian people.   (it didn’t help that i’d just spent a few hours reading the rss feed of palestine think tank).  so i just had to turn the channel, QUICKLY, before i lunged through my tv screen, which would accomplish nothing, of course, except hurt me and destroy my tv.

the thing that probably hurts my heart,  Continue Reading »

mosque of omar, bethlehem, palestine

i’m a day late at this, and i apologize - but i wanted to wish everyone out there a happy eid al-fitr.

Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth. The allegory of His light is that of a concave mirror behind a lamp that is placed inside a glass container. The glass container is like a bright, pearl-like star. The fuel thereof is supplied from a blessed oil-producing tree, that is neither eastern, nor western. Its oil is almost self-radiating; needs no fire to ignite it. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whoever wills (to be guided). Allah thus cites the parables for the people. Allah is fully aware of all things.  Quran 24:35

i can’t help myself.  the guardian’s article response on that p@lin woman’s comment about how she ‘reads all of ‘em’ when asked about the newspapers she reads was simply delightful.  instead of sending you there here it is:

from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/oliverburkemanblog/2008/oct/01/uselections2008.sarahpalin

In the latest instalment of Katie Couric-induced TV torture, John McCain’s running-mate is asked to describe the newspapers and magazines she reads and replies “all of ‘em”, which therefore, following a logical process of reasoning, includes this one. Commentators have pounced on this interview excerpt because it looks as though Palin is unable to name a single newspaper or magazine, but really, it’s clear that she simply doesn’t want to offend rival publications by singling the Guardian out for praise. (A sensible precaution during an election campaign, of course.) According to high-level sources, Palin especially enjoys the cryptic crossword, the Saturday book review and the Country Diary, though she does feel the Sports section’s dog-sledding coverage leaves something to be desired.

(btw, there is a link to a video of the comment at the link to the article.)

*hanging head in shame* i shouldn’t have watched the p@lin interviews with c0uric, no no no. why? because my first urge was to lunge through the screen and smack her give her a dirty look.  my second urge was to send her a bunch of links from my palestine collection.  and how do i feel now?  just irked that that woman is running for vice president.  i have never ever thought this before - but i know more about what is going on than she does, and i don’t know ANYTHING.  ugh ugh.  after watching that i can’t look on the bright side “well, at least if ob@ma looses we’ll have a female vp.”  sorry, but after that mess i can’t think that there would be any bright side if that woman is elected.  i think if that happens i’m going to find an NGO in gaza to work with because i simply couldn’t stand to live here.  i’d rather live in a prison being able to make a difference in people’s lives than in a country that elects someone like that.

oh and on that ob@ma character - i downloaded some of his position sheets yesterday, and of course i downloaded is sheet on israel.  here’s a couple of my favorite (note sarcasm) points:

Work Towards Two States Living Side by Side in Peace and Security
Obama believes in working towards a two-state solution, with a Jewish state of Israel and a viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security. He has sought to encourage Palestinian moderates who seek peace and to isolate Hamas and other extremists committed to Israel’s destruction.  Obama is a cosponsor of the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006, which outlaws direct assistance to any entity of the Palestinian Authority controlled by Hamas until it meets conditions to renounce violence, recognize Israel, and abide by all agreements signed by the Palestinian Authority.   Brooke comment: what about Israel’s daily violence and oppression of the Palestinians?  Umm.. Mr. O - have you really spent anytime with the Palestinians, in their homes?  Obviously not.

Support Foreign Assistance to Israel
Obama has consistently supported foreign assistance to Israel.  He defends and supports the annual foreign aid package that involves both military and economic assistance to Israel and has advocated increasing the foreign aid budget.  He has called for continuing U.S. cooperation with Israel in the development of missile defense systems. Brooke note:  what about the Palestinians too?  Why aren’t we helping to protect them from the Israeli’s??

but, on a positive note, this image from Mecca from Reuters is just lovely.