A First: "...Our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters"

"...surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination."

All hail the radio! It helped me multitask. And think. Much better than TV. While Obama spoke, I took notes and wrote down feelings as I never could while watching him on television. I was able to focus on what he had to say rather than be distracted by how he said it. I had seen him enough times to envision all the motions (and emotions) coming from this man. And I just wanted to hear the words. I knew that his speech would be well thought out and I intended to give it the same amount of thought that it, in turn, deserved. I listened, tapping at my keyboard occasionally. When it was over, I did my laundry and worked out a little. I kept trying to remember the words that sank in the most.

Some of them sunk in. Some didn't. For the ones that didn't, I read a transcript of his speech. To me, it was not awe-inspiring. Michelle Obama's speech was far more heartfelt in that respect. Yes, it was well thought out. But most of all, it was what it NEEDED to be: clearer about his policies than he has been before, forthright and a little bit demanding. O.K., a whole lot demanding. It did not paint John McCain as someone completely on "the other side," and therefore, wrong in everything. Rather, it implied that McCain is out of touch with reality, just like the Bush administration has been these part eight years. The speech also reminded Democrats what they were: fighters for a better world view, equality, compassion and reason. He said "We're the party of Roosevelt. We're the party of John F. Kennedy."

Other phrases that stand out:

• "Failure to respond" - an outright indictment of George W. Bush's whole presidency
• "Change doesn’t come FROM Washington, it comes TO Washington" - a good catchphrase for his campaign.
• "This election is about YOU." - a throwaway line that nonetheless arouses people's sense of entitlement.
• "...deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital...live lives free of discrimination." Of course that hit home. I don't think the phrase "gay brothers and sisters" has ever been used before in a major political campaign. "Brothers and sisters" gives people an acknowledged equality. But it's an equality some people will deride as giving "perverts" or "sinners" the same rights that "normal" people have. He's definitely going to get a lot of flack from that one remark. Malkin, Coulter and Limbaugh will have a field day with it, not to mention Parsley, Hagee, Robertson, Graham, Perkins, Dobson, etc
  

And then there's -

"We are more compassionate than a government that lets veterans sleep on our streets and families slide into poverty; that sits on its hands while a major American city drowns before our eyes."

There was only one wrong note in the speech that, to me, stuck out vividly:

"Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world..."

I doubt that. Our "culture" is being scorned or laughed at by many countries who keep a close eye on American politics, religion and sociology. We have become what we have craved and continue to crave: entertainment. The lack of diplomacy, erudition, compassion and reason that have come out of the Bush administration is causing us to look like Keystone Kops chasing after the hero and heroine. It will take years of diplomacy and "good will towards men" to heal the wounds of a selfish yet righteously arrogant administration. A large, socially uneducated segment of our society believes that we should embrace what many would consider to be a theocracy. The separation of church and state was one of the wisest of ideologies coming from men who saw the tyranny of government to religion as well as the tyranny of religion to the people.

O.K., I'll get off the soapbox. It was a good speech that NEEDED to be spoken.

Before I sign off tonight, I "discovered this great site called "Wordle.net" (I shouldn't say "discovered" because it's obvious from the site that a lot of people know about it!)You can paste any speech you want in it and it will come up with the most used words in the speech. You can edit it any way you wish. It's fun and very revealing about the speech. I created one for Obama's speech - just click on the link below:

I Have A Dream Of A Culturally Diverse...Camelot

Of course it was timed, but whether intended or not, Obama's speech tonight will mark the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech in the Capitol Mall on August 28, 1968. And his speech will be poked, prodded, built up, torn down and repeated. Everything you can think of with a timely speech. There is one thing, however, that it will not be: ignored.

Most of the rhetoric of the DNC has been rousing, even inspirational: Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton. Joe Biden. Liberal critics lauded them, and conservative critics, well, criticized them. There are some pundits you don't have to read or listen to because you know - word for word - what they have to say. (I certainly don't want to listen to or read Michelle Malkin. Her rants are way too loud for eardrums - or eyes!). So what will Obama come up with? Will the speech be uniting? Inspirational? Uplifting? Will it condemn the last eight years of the Bush administration? Put it this way: Obama's sheer presence as the Democratic Nominee for President of the United States will condemn it. While McCain will defend (to an extent) the current course, Obama will be shouldering through a crowd of skeptics and, yes, bigots, to lead the people through a different course.

At least, we all hope it will be different.

We hope to God it will be different.

Just a thought.

Something Encouraging, But Be Careful: An Answer From the AIDS Care Unit at Saddleback Church

If you haven't done so, read the post for August 23rd: An Open Letter to the Mrs. Rick Warrens of the World. I then forwarded the post to Ms. Elizabeth Styffe, R.N.M.N. of the AIDS Care Unit at Saddleback Church. Ms. Styffe works closely with Kay Warren. I didn't think I would get a response, but I did. Here it is:

Dear Dan Vojir,

Thanks for your email. You have said so many things that resonate with me...exactly! I particularly appreciate your last sentences, "It's just that people do not know how it rankles me to know that people in foreign countries have garnered more "Christian charity" sooner - and with more compassion - than my neighbors." I hear you and hurt for the terrible ways that people have suffered alone. Meeting you, a person living with HIV, is what I love to do everyday. And you're right, churches with an HIV ministry are tragically rare and were horrifically absent early on in the Pandemic. (my emphasis)
We're trying to change that reality and are giving our lives to help mobilize the church...and people everywhere to care and act and engage.

My personal story is that I was caring for people who were living and dying with AIDS in the early 1980s (I am an RN and very involved early on....you and I both know too many people who suffered and died...we both have shed many tears.) Even though I was involved, I did not act enough. I was wrong.

Sadly, I didn't care at all about any other place in the world (I was wrong and ignorant)...I thought AIDS was "solved" with the introduction of HIV medications and I was absolutely wrong and ignorant regarding stigma and the other ways people who are positive suffer. If you've read things from Kay Warren, you'll know that we own the truth of what you're saying regarding "too little, too late". I hope you've also read that we're changing that. After Kay's first trip to Africa, she realized that whatever we were doing in Africa, we needed to also do at home. We launched together the HIV/AIDS Initiative at Saddleback Church which focuses both locally and globally.

I agree with you on so many things you've offered...you are not alone in believing that the United States needs a focus and passion, not only from the church and the evangelical....but from everyone. I'm giving my life to these goals. We do care about people living with HIV in Africa, but we have an equally strong local HIV ministry and charge every church with doing the same. We do not believe you can care about global HIV until you also care locally. We have a very active HIV Initiative that mobilizes people to care in very practical ways both locally and globally. I'd be interested in hearing the ways you think we can improve, change and grow. I'm in this for the long haul. As a member of the Orange Country HIV Planning Council, I am constantly learning and working with Kay to make an impact and care and engage others in doing the same. We want your feedback...people living with HIV are our passion.

I would really relish the opportunity to talk with you. If you'll offer your phone number, I'll call you. It's difficult to convey all I long to convey in email. You're also welcome to call me at ______________. You matter to us. Your opinions are important. If you haven't yet visited our web site....consider visiting www.HIVandtheChurch.com

Warmly, Elizabeth

Elizabeth Styffe RN MN

Saddleback Church

Director HIV/AIDS & Orphan Care Initiative

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the first time I've ever experienced an apology (of sorts) from anyone attached to a religious community. (The pope crying at the Wailing Wall of Jerusalem's Temple doesn't count.) I truly believe this letter to be heartfelt and I encourage people who want to connect with a faith-based AIDS initiative to investigate this.

No, I'm not sold on the likes of Rick Warren. No matter how hard he tries to provide a place for the "unchurched," I will always be suspicious. Remember, he's something of an inerrantist, and his use of the Bible, while not as a weapon, still has some hard edges to it. And I would like to have access to full accountability of his ministries.

Just a thought.

Meanwhile, At The American Legion Convention...

Cheney: His secret is that he has more secrets than we can imagine!

Cheney Stumps For McCain
Without Stumping For McCain

Got that? Actually, Cheney is quite true to form in his enactment of Tricky Dick Redux. From ThinkProgress.com:

I realize the Annual Convention of the American Legion is not a political event, and I will not speak this morning about the presidential campaign.

Moments later, he said:

President Bush stood firm, along with a number of notably courageous members of Congress, some of them from Arizona. They knew a surge of operations was our big chance to get things right.

Secrecy. Deals. Lack of diplomacy. 144 days left.
They can still do a lot of damage. (Like the photo below)

Evidence of Dick Cheney's Arrival on Earth!

Thanks to Flickr and "Tony the Misfit." for this marvelous photo and caption.
I couldn't have labeled it better myself!

McCain's Vice President: Just Don't Pick Cheney!

One of These Three? Where's Huckabee?
...And Where's the Logic?

I fell sorry for John McCain. Obama had some incredibly dynamic people to chose his running mate from. They all had the potential to unite the party. Yes, even Hillary. The decision of Joe Biden was, after analysis, very wise and thought out, reflecting Obama's personality as well as his intentions.

But what or whom is McCain going to settle for? And he HAS to settle for someone less than popular: Romney? Lieberman? PAWLENTY??? And there's been no mention of Huckabee. Why not? I wonder...

O.K., sticking to the top three:

Romney is a little bit too risky. The whole question of his Mormonism distances him from many people. His wealth also works against him: McCain (or rather, Cindy) has enough money as it is: how many houses does Romney own? With him, the party will certainly seem plutocratic. McCain may try to mold himself into "man of the people," but Bush already tried that. Didn't really work. He couldn't channel Will Rogers.

Lieberman is the meek-sounding hawk people can't just pin down: he's given an 88% approval from the Human Rights Campaign, but he's against same-sex marriage. His stance on abortion is rather wishy-washy. The strongly Republican NRA hates him. McCain's "maverick" image is slipping and he may want to shore it up with another maverick, but Lieberman has still too much Democratic dust on his coattails.

Who the hell is Pawlenty? The Washington Post has called him the most conservative Minnesota governor since Governor Theodore Christianson in the 1920s. He ran his gubernatorial campaign on the premise of a balanced budget. He slashed government spending to the point of damaging its infrastructure. His appointments for health commissioner and transportation have been disastrous (literally). Although he swore he would never raise taxes, he placed high fees on government agencies and services (like university fees). He won his second term by 1% of the vote.

Added to these three is the speculation that McCain has considered picking a running mate who is primarily pro-choice! McCain has too many sides to his party to make happy, but choosing a pro-choice vice-presidential candidate would spell disaster for his Republican campaign.

Now, if he were a Democrat...

So, Romney, Lieberman, or Pawlenty?
For the Republican Party, it may be "None of the Above." For McCain, it might be "who should I be stuck with?"

Just a thought.

The Passing of Del Martin: One of "Those Lesbians!" Whom The Christian Right Fought For Over 60 Years!

And the Christian Right thinks we have no commitment to each other! Readers: I just received this email about the passing of Del Martin yesterday. She will be so missed because she was so loved! Dear Friend, In Memory of Del Martin 1921 - 2008 To day, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community lost an iconic leader and a beloved friend. Del Martin, 87, passed away in San Francisco with Phyllis Lyon, her lifelong partner and spouse, by her side. Del was one of the nation's first and most visible lesbian rights activists who dedicated her life to combating homophobia, sexism, violence and racism. Del's many contributions to the LGBT movement will resonate for decades to come. Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon were the first gay or lesbian couple to be legally married in Northern California, on June 16, 2008 after 55 years together. As was her wish, in lieu of flowers, gifts can be made to honor Del's life and commitment by defeating the California marriage ban. To make a gift, please click here: http://www.NoOnProp8.com/contribute With Del's passing, we mourn the loss of a champion not only for LGBT rights, but also for the basic human rights due to all people. Del will always be an inspiration to those of us who follow the path to equality she blazed. We sincerely thank her for this final, selfless contribution to the rights that she and Phyllis fought so long for. Del, we will miss you. Sincerely, Dale Kelly Bankhead Campaign Manager No On 8, Equality For All

California's Christofascists Are On the Warpath!!

And They Want More Than Just Our Scalps!
They Want Our Dignity, Our Rights AND Our Souls!

The very moment anyone creates an "us" and "them" situation, they open the door to hate. Too simple? Maybe, but there are people who avoid that situation by accepting and including everyone and there are those who fan the flames of hatred by segregating people and actively labeling people as outcasts or "lepers". It's an open or closed heart thing. It's an open or closed mind thing.

What about associations and clubs? Some clubs are formed to assemble people with common interests. But other clubs are formed to keep people out. Kids have done the latter since the dawn of time: "Keep out" and "members ONLY" were common when I was a kid and I'll bet they're still around now. In a sense, gangs are violent clubs.

Religion can be both inclusive or exclusive. It cannot, however, be both at the same time: you're either "in" or you're "out". You either believe a certain doctrine or you don't. If you don't toe the line and do everything exactly as your leader tells you, or a higher power tells your leader who tells you, you are a sinner...or an apostate... or an atheist...or a "poor, confused" person to be pitied. Or, as Rick Warren would tell you: "unchurched."

The most hypocritical phrase uttered in the next coming weeks will be "but we're not bigots or homophobes! That's what THEY want you to think!" But in the situation of same-sex marriage, it will certainly be "give 'em an inch, they'll take a yard." Bigotry will not stop with the passage of a proposition to "protect" marriage.

Civil unions will be next. Ballot initiatives will crop up to eradicate them. Donations will pour in from outside each and every state to help support those initiatives.

"But we're not bigots or homophobes!"

Propositions will be passed to give "faith-based initiatives" more money. Religious institutions will be given a mandate in hiring and firing. "You're not one of us. You're not part of the club!"

"But we're not bigots or homophobes!"

People will be afraid to come out of the closet more than ever.

"But we're not bigots or homophobes!"

Laws will be passed making certain actions a crime or re-instating old laws.

"But we're not bigots or homophobes!"

And as men and women all over our country are being bashed and killed, we will still hear: "But we're not bigots or homophobes!"

Just a thought.

If you want to help stop the "slippery slope" before it starts, please vote NO on Proposition 8. If you're not in California, go to this site and find out how you can help.

www.NoOnProp8.com