tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-115189472024-03-14T13:13:34.441-04:00Blue Heart of DixieIn the blue heart of the Deep South lies Atlanta, a dot of mostly progressive thought in an ocean of red voters. I am an out, gay Episcopalian Democrat trying to live his life with as much integrity as possible. This blog is my attempt to comment on local, state and national political stories that capture my interst, happenings in the Episcopal Church of the United States and life in general.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.comBlogger141125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-88456319689125129042015-10-22T18:00:00.000-04:002015-10-22T18:00:01.146-04:00Thoughts on Lavista Hills<br /><br />
<h2>
Skepticism</h2>
I am generally skeptical of cityhood movements. They seem to have been more motivated by ensuring white dollars don't end up benefiting black citizens in other parts of a county. A secondary goal is to provide greater opportunities for a Republican "farm team" of local elected officials. In a county such as DeKalb, this is especially important. There is only one commission district where a Republican can get elected. County-wide offices, forget it. There are only a few state house and senate districts that will elect Republicans too, so if you live in a DeKalb as a Republican, you are largely out of luck if you have dreams of electoral office.<br />
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<h2>
Concerns</h2>
I have several concerns about the formation of Lavista Hills which must be balanced with benefits before deciding whether to vote Yes or No on the referendum.<br />
<h3>
Hidden Motivations</h3>
This is purely a partisan, political concern. Most people won't care, but I do, and so do many of my friends. As I mentioned earlier, one of the goals of these new cities we have seen in Fulton and DeKalb is to provide a farm team with electoral experience for Republicans in heavily Democratic counties. Lavista Hills is no different, although the voting data indicates that Lavista Hills will be a swing city. It will be difficult for crazy people in either party to be elected to the city council or as mayor. There is a slight built in GOP advantage in the districts, but it appears to me that the boundaries of city council districts are designed to create a 3-3 split to be broken by the mayor, who is largely expected to be former Rep. Kevin Levitas, who was a Democrat in the state legislature but who had the most conservative voting record of anyone in the Democratic caucus, including rural members! Some might say he was a DINO, so that makes me wearily suspicious.<br />
<br /><br />
A lot of what seems to be driving the cityhood movements in DeKalb are the endless scandals involving county government and school board. Having the last superintendent sent to prison for violating RICO statutes, along with the open graft by school board members since removed or kicked out of office, is enough to make any DeKalb taxpayer, let alone parents, pull their hair out. So I get it, and I will support anything that brings order to our schools and restores the quality that DeKalb used to produce. <br />
<br /><br />
That does not mean I don't see an endgame involving the schools in DeKalb. Namely, I believe the end goal is to break up DeKalb County schools and use a coalition of cities to create new, wealthier, and majority white school districts. Yes, that would require amending the Georgia constitution to lift the cap on the number of school districts or to allow localities to band together to form new districts. Such a bill (<a href="http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display/20152016/HR/4" target="_blank">HR 4</a>) is already in the legislative hopper. Republicans have 119 members in the state house, 1 short of the number needed to amend the state constitution. In the state senate, the GOP has 38 members, which is a constitutional majority. Only if Democrats hold together can this amendment be stopped, but it's unclear to me if Rep. Taylor Bennett will be able to vote No if his constituents in Brookhaven really want him to vote Yes. We shall see what happens.<br />
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I believe the goal is to have Brookhaven, Lavista Hills, and maybe Tucker...with Chamblee and Doraville thrown in for good measure so that the district isn't TOO white... to join together to form a new school district and seceding from DeKalb County schools after the state constitution is amended. I'm not sure such an outcome would withstand judicial scrutiny, but I do believe it is one of the prime hidden motivations for cityhood.<br />
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<h3>
Viability</h3>
The prime question for me is whether Lavista Hills is even viable financially given the paucity of commercial real estate within the city boundaries. Brookhaven poached Executive Park, and yes, that was because Children's Hospital of Atlanta wanted to go with an existing city rather than wait and see what happened with Lavista Hills. Still, that was a huge blow to potential revenue for a new city. And the unfortunate splitting of Northlake along Lavista Road also is a blow to revenue for the city. Yes, it was necessary because no one could agree on the boundary that would let both Tucker and Lavista Hills to be viable. Personally, I think 285 should have been the boundary between Tucker and Lavista Hills. It made sense geographically, but local politics around the schools again played a big role. <br />
<br /><br />
Lavista Hills will be a huge city of about 67,000 people and mostly residential. Can Toco Hills, small strip malls, and half of a decaying Northlake really support cityhood without a massive tax increase? There are lots of opinions out there, and I found the <a href="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/lakesideyes/pages/28/attachments/original/1431691602/lavista_hills_051415_final_edition.pdf?1431691602" target="_blank">Carl Vinson Institute Study</a> and <a href="http://www.decaturish.com/2015/10/whats-it-to-utz-lavista-hills-voters-deserve-better-information/" target="_blank">this editorial</a> most helpful in forming my thoughts.<br />
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<h4>
Costs will rise, but not where you think </h4>
Cities have the ability to levy franchise fees, which will simply be passed on to homeowners on their bills. This means cable, telephone, etc. will have fees passed on to residents to pay for whatever franchise fees the city imposes. It probably won't be much, but it is an increase.<br />
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<h4>
Goodbye HOST credit</h4>
Cities largely lose HOST credits compared to unincorporated counties. There's also the issue of different exemptions available in cities versus counties. This is why tax rates (called "millage") between city and county are not directly comparable . Cities generally have lower millage rates but that's because you lose the HOST credit, so a lower millage can raise the same amount of money. This is why the property tax bills will probably be a wash when you look at the bottom line for homeowners.<br />
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<h4>
Surplus may not exist</h4>
The Carl Vinson Institute study used DeKalb’s millage rate of 7.64 to analyze the viability of LaVista Hills, and determined that Lavista Hills would likely run a surplus of about $1.7 million at the end of the day. Sounds good, right? Well, the <a href="http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display/20152016/HB/520" target="_blank">legislation establishing Lavista Hills</a> caps the millage rate at 5. The study did not use that millage rate for its calculations. Here's where the drama begins. The anti-cityhood folks (<a href="http://dekalbstrong.com/" target="_blank">DeKalb Strong</a>) ran the numbers themselves using the 5 millage rate, and determined that Lavista Hills would run about <a href="http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/proposed-dekalb-city-lavista-hills-finances-questi/nnfQL/" target="_blank">$114k deficit</a>. <br />
<br /><br />
So who do we believe? The Carl Vinson Institute is well qualified to do viability studies, and they have largely been correct about cities that have been formed in the last decade. While I wish they had conducted their analysis using the 5 millage limit, the Institute was crystal clear in emphasizing that their report is an educated guess about the potential income of the city. It is not the same thing as a budget passed by an elected body and managed by professionals. A projected deficit of $114k in a projected budget of $34.5M (0.3%) is almost a rounding error in the world government budgets. I know that's not popular to say, but my experience working with the federal government has proven it to be true. It should be very easy to overcome such a deficit if Lavista Hills has a competent city manager - <u>without</u> impacting taxes or services.<br />
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There is no guarantee here, but isn't that self-government is about? Isn't that why we should theoretically want to incorporate, so that we can make these decisions ourselves rather than relying on the corrupt county government?<br />
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<div>
</div>
<h3>
Corruption</h3>
DeKalb County might as well be a board member of <a href="http://lavistahills.nationbuilder.com/" target="_blank">Lavista Hills YES!</a> with the ongoing corruption with our last elected CEO going to prison for running a pay-for-play scheme, the disastrous water main leak that left most of what would consist of Lavista Hills without water for days in the middle of July, to the explosive <a href="https://drive.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=http://archive.11alive.com/assetpool/documents/150930054116_DekalbCountyReport930.pdf" target="_blank">"report"</a> by Mike Bowers. Bowers charges to the county run up in a partial investigation do appear to be outrageously high, but there should have been a proper contract by Acting CEO Lee May to define the scope and the agree on the cost. That said, the allegations in the report are damning, especially how Bowers was blocked in seeking information. The data dump on questionable charges was a tad unfair because Bowers had not allowed commissioners and others in question to defend those charges. Still, the impression those charges, valid or not, gave was bad. <br />
<br /><br />
Let's be clear: DeKalb County has always had a fair amount of corruption and pay to play. I do not know if earlier administrations, especially in the "golden age" of Manual Maloof, were just more discreet or how they kept the county running well while also "taking care" of friends and allies without the stench of corruption and incompetence that permeates DeKalb today. I think that the larger white economic and political power structure has less tolerance for black officials doing the same thing that white officials do when it comes to corruption. When a change from white rule to black rule happens, the network that will tolerate a certain amount of graft and corruption from white officials is usually less tolerant of black officials doing the same things.<br />
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I do not condone corruption, black or white. People who hold offices of public trust should hold those duties sacred. Yes, being an elected official doesn't come with great pay, and it requires a LOT of personal time. Not to mention dealing with citizen activists and general gadflies who seem to only know how to complain about anything and everything. Yet, that's the deal you accept when you run for public office. The power you hold as an elected official must be compensation enough for all the problems and issues and loss of personal time that service entails. But I don't think I'm too far off in my observations in this area.<br />
<br /><br />
Looking at the history of cityhood movements in the last 10 years, other than Sandy Springs, it's interesting that once it was clear that Republicans probably wouldn't win the Fulton County Commission chairmanship in normal circumstances that suddenly ALL of North Fulton wanted to incorporate and incorporate now. It's also interesting that only after it was clear that county-wide offices could win election without EVER campaigning north of I-20 (which is the rough boundary between overwhelmingly African American south DeKalb, and the increasingly white north DeKalb) that Dunwoody and Brookhaven broke away. Yes, I'm looking at you, Vernon Jones and Cynthia McKinney. <br />
<br /><br />
<h2>
Services</h2>
Lavista Hills proposes to provide police, parks, roads, and zoning. If I am missing anything, my apologies. <br />
<br /><br />
DeKalb has a pretty decent police capacity, but my recent experience trying to report the theft and use of my debit card has me thinking a smaller city department could do better. I'm not sure how, but somehow my debit card was stolen, and transactions were made. I didn't notice the first one, but I did the second, and when I called the company to report fraud, I got a whole lot of information about who stole my card, addresses, emails, phone numbers. I tried to go in person to report it to the police, and my precinct is co-located with the DeKalb Police HQ in Northlake. The first I tried to report, it was a Saturday morning and while the building was open, literally no one was around. The building was deserted. A few days later, I tried to go immediately after work, only to find out that they wouldn't take any reports outside the hours of 10-4 or something equally impossible for someone WITH A FULL TIME JOB. I mailed my statement and the evidence I collected to the precinct captain listed on DeKalb's police website, and I did get a call and email from a detective a week or so later. The fact I had to go those links to just report a crime, and turn over evidence, is ridiculous. I couldn't help but think this wouldn't happen if I were in Brookhaven or Dunwoody.<br />
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Infrastructure is aging pretty rapidly in the area that could become Lavista Hills. I've had multiple tires taken out by pot holes, and it seems cities have better luck with infrastructure improvements if what I see when I drive around Dunwoody and Brookhaven is indicative. I understand that south DeKalb suffered years of neglect, so the last 15 years or so have required massive investment in south DeKalb. I support that, but you also have to ensure that the infrastructure in north DeKalb is maintained. One thing I liked about Burrell Ellis was that he emphasized projects all over the county. Buford Highway, Oak Grove, and other intersections have all received desperately needed makeovers. It never needed to be one part of the county wins and the other loses. Maintaining the infrastructure we have, as well as getting sidewalks, would be a very good thing. <br />
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A city will mean an extra layer of government, but it doesn't have to be a bad thing. DeKalb has about 700,000 citizens. Our commission districts are HUGE. There's no good way to ensure that the everyday issues of local governance are heard, unless the problem rises to such a level that it garners wide attention. Depending on who would get elected to the city government, we could end up with a vastly more responsive government that won't let major roads crumble or who can harangue the DeKalb trash pickup when they just don't come, even after reducing service to once a week. <br />
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<h3>
Is it worth it?</h3>
This is the ultimate question. It does appear that Lavista Hills would be basically viable, although the paucity of commercial property is concern. I have largely ignored the nasty back-and-forth we have seen online and in joint meetings. DeKalb's politics have never been for the faint of heart. And DeKalb has a long, somewhat proud history of very active citizen gadflies who appoint themselves as Guardians of the People's Money. Some of these folks see a dark conspiracy around every corner, and others are just prickly. Their hearts are largely in the right place, though. They want to see their version of good government come to fruition, and they are willing to harangue officials until they get it. <br />
<br /><br />
The DeKalb Strong folks have many stories of dark intentions by the Lavista Hills YES! folks. I have discussed what I believe are the underlying motivations for forming the city in its current form at this time. I don't think it's quite as sinister as some people believe, but transparency and facing counter-arguments head on rather than relying solely on personal attacks would serve both sides well. <br />
<br /><br />
DeKalb's government is in the process of reform. I don't think we will elect another CEO after the upcoming General Assembly. We will likely move to a county commission with professional county manager system. I don't think that will answer the corruption problem, and I'm not sure what will. The culture in DeKalb among some elected officials seems to be "I put all this time and energy into this office for very little pay...I'm owed some goodies". It's up to us as citizens to use our votes to say "This behavior is NOT acceptable." <br />
<br /><br />
The General Assembly passed three bills to help start reforming DeKalb. It's unfortunately that Acting CEO Lee May hasn't promulgated the regulations for purchasing that he was supposed to do in July. At the same time we are voting on Lavista Hills, we vote to establish the DeKalb Ethics Board. Much has been made of the fact that Lavista Hills officials will not have the same ethics standards that this new county board does. I would hope that the city council would vote to either vote to subject themselves to the independent DeKalb Ethics board or establish its equivalent for the city. We should demand they do.<br />
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The expected benefits of a government closer to the people doesn't always work...look at Brookhaven. The impression I have of the elected officials in Brookhaven is that they are shady as hell. All that stuff which came out against J. Max Davis Jr in his run for the state house is as bad as what's coming out of DeKalb County in my opinion. Whether Lavista Hills will be a good thing or a bad thing will heavily depend on who we elect to city council and as mayor. Complacency will only get us more of the same that we are seeing in DeKalb. <br />
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<h2>
My Vote</h2>
I have been inclined to not support cityhood for political reasons and because I think I'll end up paying more money for the same level of service. When the decision to divide Northlake along Lavista Rd between Tucker and Lavista Hills was made, combined with the seizure of Executive Park by Brookhaven, I was very worried the city couldn't be viable without Decatur-level taxes. The Carl Vinson Institute study allayed my fears, but I still worry that the commercial property in the city won't be sufficient. <br />
<br /><br />
Everything I have heard from friends in other DeKalb cities about a smaller police force is that the service is much better. Whether Dunwoody Police is overwhelmed and understaffed, I do not know. However, the impression of my friends who live there is positive. After my experience with DeKalb Police, I'm ready to give Lavista Hills Police a shot.<br />
<br /><br />
When I consider everything I've written in this blog, my conclusion is that the odds are that Lavista Hills will be more likely than not a good thing. I'm not whole heartedly pro-city, and I still have concerns, but they are not enough for me to vote No. On November 3, I intend to vote YES on Lavista Hills.<br />
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<br />Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-75256964198346255842015-03-14T18:12:00.001-04:002015-03-14T18:12:05.030-04:00Rebuking My Georgia Senators<div class="tr_bq">
It should surprise no one that my U.S. Senators, both Republicans, signed that atrocious <a href="http://go.bloomberg.com/assets/content/uploads/sites/2/150309-Cotton-Open-Letter-to-Iranian-Leaders.pdf" target="_blank">letter to the leaders of Iran</a>. I was infuriated at the unmitigated gal of this action of 47 Republican senators to undermine the President during intense negotiations surrounding Iran's nuclear capabilities. I had to take a few days to think about what I'd say, but I could not allow this to go unremarked.</div>
<br />
The following are letters I have sent to Senators Johnny Isakson and David Perdue. The substance is largely the same, but there are some differences.<br />
<br />
<blockquote style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f3cdd32d-1a54-b966-d235-920b64fc8e2c"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dear Senator Isakson, </span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today, I write you to express my displeasure at your recent participation in the open letter to the leaders of Iran written by Senator Cotton. Frankly, I expected you to behave more in line with Senators Corker and Alexander than signing on to a letter that borders on treasonous behavior for a sitting United States Senator. You have embarrassed yourself, your constituents, and this country. I don’t often agree with you on matters of policy, but I always respected you as a statesman who wanted to get things done for this country where possible. You have now broken that basic trust.</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You and your fellow Senators have deserved the backlash in the press you have received over this letter. Imagine your reaction if Senate Democrats had written a letter to Saddam Hussein or Kim Jung Il following President Bush’s “axis of evil” State of the Union telling them to not pay any attention to the president since his successor would just undo whatever he did. I can only imagine the cries of treason, arrest, and prison that would have arisen from the Republicans. The substance of your concerns about the outlines of a deal with Iran that have leaked are not at issue, despite your protestations to the contrary. What is at issue is the manner in which you have chosen to address those concerns.</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You could have written President Obama a public letter expressing your concerns and indicating steps the Senate is willing to take should he not submit any agreement for approval. You could have done the same thing in one of the nation’s major newspapers. I daresay the Washington Post or New York Times would have gladly published such an editorial. Yet, you chose to directly interfere with delicate negotiations in an effort to see them fail even though failure will only push us harder toward war. If your aim, and the aim of your fellow signatories, is war with Iran to affect regime change, then you should state that goal openly. </span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Constitution only provides for the Senate to ratify treaties, along with providing advice and consent for the appointment of all major executives in the State Department and every ambassadorship. Common executive agreements are not subject to ratification under the Constitution. You know perfectly well that this would be a multinational agreement involving Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, as well as the United States and Iran. It is not, and will not be, a formal treaty requiring ratification by the Senate. I will not argue that it would be a good idea for President Obama to agree to a deal with Iran that the Senate despises, but it IS within his power. Congress simply has no business conducting foreign policy with a foreign government, especially an enemy like Iran. It is not your job to act as an independent diplomatic force while discrediting the men and women who work hard to try to make peace and support the United States’ leadership across the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It might be beneficial to read United States v. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp., 299 U.S. 304 (1936). In that case, the Supreme Court agreed, by a vote of 7-1, with John Marshall’s statement in the House of Representatives on March 7, 1800 that "the President alone has the power to speak or listen as a representative of the nation.” (p. 299 U.S. 219). Even the Senate’s Committee on Foreign Relations reported to the Senate in February 1816 that:</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"The President is the constitutional representative of the United States with regard to foreign nations. He manages our concerns with foreign nations, and must necessarily be most competent to determine when, how, and upon what subjects negotiation may be urged with the greatest prospect of success. For his conduct, he is responsible to the Constitution. The committee considers this responsibility the surest pledge for the faithful discharge of his duty. They think the interference of the Senate in the direction of foreign negotiations calculated to diminish that responsibility, and thereby to impair the best security for the national safety. The nature of transactions with foreign nations, moreover, requires caution and unity of design, and their success frequently depends on secrecy and dispatch."</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">U.S. Senate, Reports, Committee on Foreign Relations, vol. 8, p 24.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a man who claims to uphold the values of the Founders, your actions have violated the very explicit understanding of the President’s constitutional role in foreign policy, especially around negotiation. What makes it worse is that you likely knew what you were doing went against our established constitutional norms, and you did it anyway.</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You are not only attempting to undermine President Obama personally, but you are also telling the governments of Britain, France, Germany, China, and Russia that the United States is not a partner with whom business can be conducted. Do you hate the President so much that you would risk the reputation and prestige of the United States in order to attempt to score some political points? You have other ways to express your outrage at the President that are more worthy of the high office you hold and the dignity of the people you represent. What is confounding and unnerves me is that you would try to embarrass our president in the face of a mutual enemy — and put our national security at risk by making it more likely that we will be drawn into yet another war in the Middle East. The other countries involved in the Iran talks can only be appalled at seeing our secretary of state and president, who are charged with making the nation’s foreign policy, hit from behind by one house of the federal legislature. You have imprudently and shamefully put politics above our national interest, damaging our standing in the world. Whether you believe that those negotiations will succeed or fail is beside the point. On such matters, and at such moments as these, our nation must be seen as speaking with one voice. </span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A truly functioning family does not air its dirty laundry in such a manner. This letter has provided aide and comfort to the most conservative elements of Iran, who, like you, hope these negotiations fail. You have provided the Ayatollah Khamenei with a public relations win, and he is now quoted as saying this letter is evidence of </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"the collapse of political ethics and the U.S. system's internal disintegration." Your actions have made the United States look weak, all out of political spite.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shame on you, Senator! You have shamed the office you hold, and the great state of Georgia by your actions. We deserve better than that from you, and I hope we get it in the future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sincerely,</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
</span></blockquote>
And now, Senator Perdue's letter:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dear Senator Perdue, </span><br />
<span id="docs-internal-guid-ef5eb3e6-1a55-a1fd-77de-13cf2b3dec1f"><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today, I write you to express my displeasure at your recent participation in the open letter to the leaders of Iran written by Senator Cotton. Unfortunately, given your campaign promises last year to basically oppose anything and everything President Obama tries to do in his last two years in office, I am not surprised that you have chosen to make common cause with people like Senator Cruz rather than the more mature Senators Corker and Alexander by signing on to a letter that borders on treasonous behavior for a sitting United States Senator. You have embarrassed yourself, your constituents, and this country. </span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You and your fellow Senators have deserved the backlash in the press you have received over this letter. Imagine your reaction if Senate Democrats had written a letter to Saddam Hussein or Kim Jung Il following President Bush’s “axis of evil” State of the Union telling them to not pay any attention to the president since his successor would just undo whatever he did. I can only imagine the cries of treason, arrest, and prison that would have arisen from the Republicans. The substance of your concerns about the outlines of a deal with Iran that have leaked are not at issue, despite your protestations to the contrary. What is at issue is the manner in which you have chosen to address those concerns.</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You could have written President Obama a public letter expressing your concerns and indicating steps the Senate is willing to take should he not submit any agreement for approval. You could have done the same thing in one of the nation’s major newspapers. I daresay the Washington Post or New York Times would have gladly published such an editorial. Yet, you chose to directly interfere with delicate negotiations in an effort to see them fail even though failure will only push us harder toward war. If your aim, and the aim of your fellow signatories, is war with Iran to affect regime change, then you should state that goal openly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Constitution only provides for the Senate to ratify treaties, along with providing advice and consent for the appointment of all major executives in the State Department and every ambassadorship. Common executive agreements are not subject to ratification under the Constitution. As a new Senator, you may not be aware that this would be a multinational agreement involving Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, as well as the United States and Iran. It is not and will not be a formal treaty. I will not argue that it would be a good idea for President Obama to agree to a deal with Iran that the Senate despises, but it IS within his power. Congress simply has no business conducting foreign policy with a foreign government, especially an enemy like Iran. It is not your job to act as an independent diplomatic force while discrediting the men and women who work hard to try to make peace and support the United States’ leadership across the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It might be beneficial to read United States v. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp., 299 U.S. 304 (1936). In that case, the Supreme Court agreed, by a vote of 7-1, with John Marshall’s statement in the House of Representatives on March 7, 1800 that "the President alone has the power to speak or listen as a representative of the nation.” (p. 299 U.S. 219). Even the Senate’s Committee on Foreign Relations reported to the Senate in February 1816 that:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"The President is the constitutional representative of the United States with regard to foreign nations. He manages our concerns with foreign nations, and must necessarily be most competent to determine when, how, and upon what subjects negotiation may be urged with the greatest prospect of success. For his conduct, he is responsible to the Constitution. The committee considers this responsibility the surest pledge for the faithful discharge of his duty. They think the interference of the Senate in the direction of foreign negotiations calculated to diminish that responsibility, and thereby to impair the best security for the national safety. The nature of transactions with foreign nations, moreover, requires caution and unity of design, and their success frequently depends on secrecy and dispatch."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">U.S. Senate, Reports, Committee on Foreign Relations, vol. 8, p 24.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a man who claims to uphold the values of the Founders, your actions have violated the very explicit understanding of the President’s constitutional role in foreign policy, especially around negotiation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You are not only attempting to undermine President Obama personally, but you are also telling the governments of Britain, France, Germany, China, and Russia that the United States is not a partner with whom business can be conducted. Do you hate the President so much that you would risk the reputation and prestige of the United States in order to attempt to score some political points? You have other ways to express your outrage at the President that are more worthy of the high office you hold and the dignity of the people you represent. What is confounding to me is that you would try to embarrass our president in the face of a mutual enemy — and put our national security at risk by making it more likely that we will be drawn into yet another war in the Middle East. The other countries involved in the Iran talks can only be appalled at seeing our secretary of state and president, who are charged with making the nation’s foreign policy, hit from behind by one house of the federal legislature. You have imprudently and shamefully put politics above our national interest, damaging our standing in the world. Whether you believe that those negotiations will succeed or fail is beside the point. On such matters, and at such moments as these, our nation must be seen as speaking with one voice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A truly functioning family does not air its dirty laundry in such a manner. This letter has provided aide and comfort to the most conservative elements of Iran, who, like you, hope these negotiations fail. You have provided the Ayatollah Khamenei with a public relations win, and he is now quoted as saying this letter is evidence of </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"the collapse of political ethics and the U.S. system's internal disintegration." Your actions have made the United States look weak, all out of political spite. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shame on you, Senator! You have shamed the office you hold, and the great state of Georgia by your actions. We deserve better than that from you, and I hope we get it in the future. Also, the state of your Senate website is disgraceful. It makes you look amateurish, which admittedly is in line with you signing this letter to Iran. I know there is plenty of conservative talent in web design that could help you, and if you need ideas, I suggest you check out Senator Isakson’s page. </span></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sincerely,</span></span><div>
<span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The only comfort I have in this whole mess is that people across the country have condemned the childish and dangerous stunt by these Senators. There's still some hope for unity around SOME things.</span></span></div>
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-37600743349434858202015-02-24T13:46:00.002-05:002015-02-24T13:46:10.895-05:00A Peek into the Republican View of How to Properly Love AmericaI have finished reading a fascinating, yet disturbing, article that gives frank insight into the Republican worldview and how to properly express love for America and proper patriotism, especially if you are President of the United States. It's worth a read, but I feel it's necessary to almost interact directly with the essay to respond to it adequately.<br />
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<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/02/23/the-insiders-why-would-anyone-think-obama-doesnt-love-america-plenty-of-reasons/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/02/23/the-insiders-why-would-anyone-think-obama-doesnt-love-america-plenty-of-reasons/</a><br />
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The author, who chairs a lobbying and communications firm cofounded by Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi in 1991, starts by somewhat defending Rudy Giuliani's recent statement that President Obama doesn't love this country without exactly co-signing his remarks. Then he starts trying to explain the Republican viewpoint:<br />
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The fact is that a lot of Republicans do believe that Obama doesn’t clearly and consistently demonstrate his love for America in a way that they can always relate to. </blockquote>
The first sentence is helpful, and peaks my curiosity. I relate to a statement that somehow Obama doesn't display his love of country in a way that Republicans recognize or relate to. Tell me more! <br />
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The media are in full-throttle attack mode against anyone who gives pause to Giuliani’s statements. Their blaring “how dare you” harangue reveals their defensiveness. </blockquote>
Here we go, the required attack on "the media", which does NOT include right wing radio or Fox News. Any criticism of Republicans is part of an established conspiracy that just PROVES conservatives are right about everything! *sarcasm*<br />
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“Love” is a subjective term, and humankind has grappled with exactly what love is since the beginning of time. So who is to say who loves whom and who loves what?</blockquote>
Precisely the point! That's the whole point of the "how dare you!" harangue mentioned earlier. This is the President of the United States you are accusing of hating the very country he leads, all because he doesn't express his love of country the way you want him to.<br />
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Well, first of all, in politics, image matters. </blockquote>
Indeed, it does. Too often, image is ALL that matters.<br />
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It’s easy to imagine Bill Clinton and either President Bush getting teary-eyed at the proverbial Fourth of July parade, as the veterans wave and flatbeds filled with 4-H kids roll by. It’s hard to imagine Obama in a similar situation. He has a cerebral, cool and aloof style that keeps him a little distant. </blockquote>
I seem to remember mockery of Bill Clinton for his "I feel your pain" personality and his ability to get choked up quite often. It didn't become "OK" until Dubya started doing it. Anyway, one of the reasons the country elected Obama was his detached sense of calm no matter the situation. In case you forgot, the country was in full meltdown in the fall of 2008, and we needed someone calm who could get in there and FIX IT because the rest of us were just scared of what was going to happen next. So Obama doesn't cry in public when puppies, veterans, or children appear. So what? Grow the hell up. <br />
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From the beginning, this president’s misguided approach to foreign policy has suggested something about what he sees as America’s place in the world. It goes all the way back to the 2008 campaign, when then-Sen. Obama said he would agree <a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2008/may/21/next-defining-campaign-issue/" target="_blank">to meet unconditionally with America’s enemies</a>, including the leaders of Venezuela, Iran and North Korea. </blockquote>
Once again, this statement about the 2008 campaign lacks any understanding of what was going on at the time. We'd had eight years of "pre-emptive war" doctrine and F*ck-You, You-are-either-with-us-or-against-us diplomacy that had alienated just about everyone, especially our traditional allies. Bush wouldn't even SPEAK to anyone who dared disagree to his face. This kind of foreign policy had not served us well, and Obama understood that. His willingness to simply listen, even to our enemies was a breathe of fresh air. It seemed more reasonable than what we had been doing. No where did Obama promise to concede anything to America's enemies... he simply expressed a willingness to not act like a big bully. It's a shame conservatives think that is proof of hating America.<br />
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This willingness to accommodate America’s traditional enemies and at times, disregard old friends, has been a nagging and persistent pattern in the administration from when he was first elected to the present day.</blockquote>
Well, that's a loaded statement. So talking to enemies is "accommodating" them. I suppose it's better to just bomb them into submission rather than try to have a dialogue, right? As to disregarding old friends... other than Israel (which is way more complicated than simply charging that Obama is dismissing that country), who else has Obama "disregarded" and how?<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Most recently, the president’s gift of recognition to our traditional enemy Cuba — while getting nothing in return — and his inaction as another traditional enemy, Russia, makes a mockery of peace talks and interferes in a country that wants the United States to come to its aid just add to the idea that Obama is quick to let America’s enemies have their way.</blockquote>
Here we have some specifics! We have been aware since at least the 1990s that the whole Cuba embargo was an abject failure. It did not bring Castro to his knees or end communism on the island. Here again, we have Obama willing to own up to a policy that HAS NOT WORKED and say let's try something different and see what happens. I'm not sure what Obama would demand "in return" for abandoning a policy that hasn't served our national interests. Opening Cuba up to more interaction with Americans will change the island for the better. We don't let a communist regime stop us from interacting with China, do we? Why not see if we can't practice some cultural imperialism to open up Cuba? <br />
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On Russia, I'd love to know what the Republicans would prefer Obama does. Our traditional friends do not want a war exploding in Ukraine between Russia and the Allies. There's way too many nuclear weapons involved, and Putin is just crazy enough to think about using them if he's pushed too hard. Obama's philosophy appears to be to let diplomacy exhaust itself before using military force. Yes, he can sometimes wait too long (see Syria) but again, we are coming from an era with Bush that was "shoot first, maybe talk later...but only if you agree with me". Our allies are more likely to support Ukraine if all avenues short of war have been exhausted. As with most messes in Europe, this Ukraine situation could get out of hand very quickly. It's clear to me that Obama is doing all he can to keep that from happening. <br />
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And then there is the disastrous, continuing effort to avoid offending Islamic terrorists.... Yet the president won’t even put the words “Islamic” and “terrorist” together. Somehow the president manages to leave the impression that he doesn’t want to offend those who would like nothing better than to kill us. His refusal to call them out fits with the notion that he might not see the danger or apply all necessary means to fight these terrorist groups.</blockquote>
SERIOUSLY?!? Sweet baby Jesus, save us! He doesn't go on and on about "Islamic terrorists" because he's not trying to fan the flames of religious hatred or prejudice. We have Muslims living in this country who are fellow American citizens. Why should Obama qualify the terrorist groups as Islamic when we don't do the same for groups who happen to be Christian or some other faith? Timothy McVey was a terrorist, not a "Christian terrorist". Even President Bush was careful to stress that our gripes were not against Islam itself, but against terrorists who abuse and distort the religion. Take your xenophobia somewhere else, conservatives. <br />
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Many were left flat-footed and with jaws dropped after the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/remarks-by-obama-at-the-national-prayer-breakfast/2015/02/05/e9374b70-ad53-11e4-9c91-e9d2f9fde644_story.html" target="_blank">president’s remarks at the recent National Prayer Breakfast</a> in Washington, where he let the Islamic terrorists know that he is keeping their actions in context. Obama felt compelled to equate today’s Islamic terrorist butchers to the Christian Crusaders of 900 years ago. It was just another example of how the president appears willing to try to understand — if not justify — the actions of those who hate America. </blockquote>
Now he's just making me tired. So by Obama reminding folks who seem to think that Christianity is above reproach that we too have a checkered history that doesn't accurately reflect our faith, he's giving the terrorists a verbal bear hug with a hand job?!?!? REALLY?!? It may be beyond the pale for conservatives to have a little reasoned perspective on emotional matters, but in the rest of the world, this is generally considered to be a good thing. If we do not understand the history of these conflicts and grievances, they cannot be beaten. Just because you acknowledge some really awful things Christians did in the name of the faith 900 years ago does not excuse what terrorists are doing in the name of their faith now, no matter how much Republicans say it is so. Trying to understand what drives the hatred of these radical, unhinged terrorists is not to apologize for them...it is looking for insights to undermine, beat, and destroy them. Obama gets this. Heck, I get it. Why can't conservatives? Why is this concept so difficult?<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In the meantime, the president is <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/congress/unwelcome-mat-white-house-tries-to-counter-netanyahu-visit/2015/02/21/c4202b2c-b9a1-11e4-bc30-a4e75503948a_story.html" target="_blank">ignoring our loyal ally</a>, the prime minister of Israel, and plenty of America’s most experienced foreign policy leaders in dealing with Iran — a country that has said it wants to acquire nuclear weapons to use against Israel and the United States. Obama’s evolving position on how much of a weapons infrastructure he will allow Iran to keep is frightening to anyone who fears for Israel, the United States and our other allies. It makes one wonder about the president’s commitment to ensuring that Iran does not ever have nuclear weapons.</blockquote>
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Notice how the author shifts the focus from "disregarding old friends" (i.e. Israel) to "ignoring" Benjamin Netanyahu who is the current PM of Israel. I don't know enough about the negotiations to have an opinion on what Obama is or is not willing to do to ensure that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons. I will cast a weary eye on whatever the deal is simply because I don't think Iran can be trusted. It's leaders want a nuke in order to dominate the middle east. The notion that Iran could fire a nuclear missile at the USA and get away with it, is ridiculous. The ayatollah may have wet dreams about turning Washington DC in to a nuclear wasteland, but it is not going to happen. Israel is in far greater danger, which makes the political games Netanyahu is playing even more dangerous. He all but actively campaigned against Obama in 2012, which is not only a breach of protocol but a very dangerous game to play in a divided America. <br />
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I will concede no ground to anyone in my support of Israel's right to exist. Israel is not perfect, but the existence of this Jewish democracy needs to be protected. I understand that average Palestinians have been brutally punished in an effort to defeat their leaders, and Israel has gone too far quite a few times. But like America, Israel is not perfect. Admitting this does not diminish support for Israel overall or its existence. It is infantile to suggest otherwise. The choices are not "Whatever Israel Wants is Awesome" or "We hate Israel and hope the Jews are Pushed into the Sea". Again, other than direct war on Iran, what would conservatives do?<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Obama also has a famously strained relationship with the military. His own former defense secretary, Robert Gates, was particularly pointed <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/robert-gates-former-defense-secretary-offers-harsh-critique-of-obamas-leadership-in-duty/2014/01/07/6a6915b2-77cb-11e3-b1c5-739e63e9c9a7_story.html" target="_blank">in his revelation</a> that he didn’t think the president liked being around members of the military. And of course, for many Republicans, the U.S. military is the most revered of all government institutions. Lack of support for the military can be viewed not only as an indication of a lack of traditional patriotism but also as a lack of commitment to America’s strength.</blockquote>
Here's a theory: Conservatives will always believe that anyone who is NOT a Republican in the White House is illegitimate. Bill Clinton was considered illegitimate by the right since he never got 50% of the overall vote despite his overwhelming electoral college victories. The right cried foul when many of us considered Bush illegitimate after the 2000 election since he got a half million FEWER votes than Gore and only won with a handy assist from 5 Republican members of the Supreme Court. Of course, once 9/11 happened, we put those concerns aside and supported Bush's actions (remember his 90% approval?) until he pushed fake evidence to get us into a war in Iraq that was really about avenging his daddy. Clinton was hit with the "disrespect" charge for his less than crisp salute. Technically, the President of the United States is not to return a salute since he is commander-in-chief. It was Reagan who started this practice, and it was incorrect then and is incorrect now. But since His Holiness, Ronald Wilson Reagan, did it, every president since has done it (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/opinion/01winfrey.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/opinion/01winfrey.html</a>) It doesn't mean Obama hates the military, and just because Sec. Gates thinks Obama didn't like to be around military members does not make it so. <br />
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The real issue is here is the unquestioning reverence that the GOP has for the military that the author admits to. When it comes to things like healthcare, social security or any domestic spending, conservatives love to claim "fiscal discipline" but if the military wants it, we should give it unquestioningly. America's military should always be strong, but it also needs to be smart to avoid the pitfalls that history shows happens to great militaries who are unquestioned by the people. To me, Obama shows proper dedication to the military and its mission. The charge that he doesn't like military people or the military in general has not basis in fact.<br />
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The author wraps up his explanation of the Republican worldview complaining about a hurried salute holding a coffee, the fact that Al Sharpton is welcome in the White House (the horror! He might as well have Bin Laden over for tea...except Obama is the one who killed Bin Laden) and that a civil rights lawyer was appointed Secretary of Labor instead of some Chamber of Commerce type who sees the worker as a tool rather than a human being.<br />
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All this combines to give people plausible reasons to think that Obama doesn’t exactly see America as the light in the darkness or as the world’s best hope, and he even had to be shamed into acknowledging American exceptionalism. So is it reasonable to wonder whether his heart is really in it? Is it ridiculous to think this president is biased toward seeing America’s flaws and imperfections first and that he doesn’t see America as the worthy leader of the world?</blockquote>
Allow me to answer your questions, Mr. Rogers (yes, that's his name). NO, it is not reasonable to wonder whether his heart is really in defending and protecting this country based on what you've written. YES, it is ridiculous to think that President Obama is biased toward America's flaws and imperfections and would rather that America not be a leading nation. Obama recognizes that the world, and the United States place in it, is a complicated and nuanced picture. It does not mean we aren't a great nation, because we are. It doesn't mean we are perfect either, because we aren't. We should constantly challenge ourselves to be better. Obama understands that, why can't you?<br />
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Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-69164429499111619522014-04-07T14:54:00.002-04:002014-04-07T14:54:41.322-04:00God's Not DeadYesterday, I saw the movie, "<a href="http://godsnotdeadthemovie.com/">God's Not Dead</a>". As an entertainment vehicle concerned with contentious philosophical issues, the movie entertains and enlightens in a way that it likely did not intend. The story is set in a small, "third tier" college and follows the travails of Josh Wheaton (played by Shane Harper), a freshman who signs up for a philosophy class to fulfill his humanties requirment despite a warning that he might want to find another class after the upperclassmen helping him sign up for classes sees the cross around Josh's neck. The warning was well founded, as Professor Radisson (played by Kevin Sorbo aka "Hercules") begins class by informing students that they will need to disavow, in writing, the existence of God on that first day, or face a failing grade for fully 1/3 of their final grade. This was the first of several heavy-handed tropes in the movie that bothered me. I cannot imagine a professor at any university getting away with demanding that his students sign a statement that "God is Dead" or face a dramatic reduction in grade. At a state university, it would violate the first amendment by demanding a statement of faith (or lack thereof) in the face of punishment. At a private school, I cannot imagine it would survive either. I'm a fairly liberal Christian, and I would take great offense at such a requirement by a person holding authority over me. Even at 18, I believe I would have dropped the class AND filed a complaint. But framing the story in this manner is important to the worldview expressed in the movie. More on that later.<br />
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As other students in the class begin scribbling the words “God Is Dead” and signing their names on pieces of paper as instructed, Josh is clearly uncomfortable, and finally offers a nervous refusal, provoking an a smug, sarcastic response from Radission. The professor (clearly standing in for evil, godless academia) assigns him a daunting task that is set up to humilate Josh: if Josh will not admit that “God Is Dead,” he must prove God’s existence by presenting well-researched, intellectual arguments and evidence over the course of the semester, and engage Radisson in a head-to-head debate in front of the class. Josh is smart enough to ask who decides if he has succeeded, and when Radisson tries to say it's his class, so he (Radisson) would be the judge, Josh counters by saying the class should vote since they all had just agreed with Radisson's proposition that God is dead. It helps that Josh dreams of being a lawyer, so he'll treat the exercise as if the class is a jury. Radisson accepts the premise, still quite smug that Josh will be humiliated and fail. Of course, if Josh fails, his acadmic career is "destroyed" and he'll never be accepted to law school. <br />
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That's a lot to put on a first semester freshman! Defend your faith or face complete life failure! It's also not true. Even if he had failed the class, over the course of 4 years, Josh could make up for the hit on his GPA. The movie, however, wants you to feel the high stakes for Josh. His perfect blonde girlfriend (oddly left off the cast page of the movie) is also depicted as a pseudo-Christian shrew who literally orders him to not challenge Radisson because it will "ruin" their future. After all, she lowered herself to go to this "third tier" school so they could be together, giving a hint that Josh may not be the stellar student that she is. The movie reveals that they have been "together" since they were 12 years old when their two youth groups came together for some kind of event. This girl has their whole life planned out, and Josh better not deviate from the "plan" if he loves her. When he actually stands up for himself, she dumps him and says that her mother was right about him all along. Ooooo.....BURN.... lol. <br />
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Josh, of course, is stressed out and goes to church to pray for help. An obviously burnt out pastor with frosted highlights (played by David A.R. White) asks if he can help, and ends up quoting two pieces of scripture that basically says if Josh doesn't stand up for God, then Jesus won't stand up for him when it's Judgement Day. So now, Josh is not only facing "academic suicide", he is also facing eternal hellfire and damnation. Poor, persecuted Josh! Whatever will he do? The dramatic tension here is a bit juvenile, but effective. It is only because of the heavy dose of persecution that I present a slightly mocking tone. Again, more on that later.<br />
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By this point in the movie, we have been introduced to three characters who provide subplots that present a very interesting view into the conservative, evangelical psyche. The first is an oppressed Muslim girl (played by Hadeel Sittu) who is forced to wear a modified hijab that covers her head except for her eyes. Her Muslim father is seen adjusting the hijab before she is allowed to leave the car. I wondered why she was able to wear western clothes if her dad was conservative enough to demand an "eyes only" hijab. Seems to me if her head covering needs to be that extensive, he'd insist she not wear form fitting blue jeans and a button up blouse, but a full length burqa. If we're going for stereotypes, why not go full bore?<br />
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The girl rips off the head scarf as soon as her dad drives away, so she can fit in with the other students. At one point, another girl tells her "You're so pretty. It's a shame you have to hide it." Of course, this girl is sporting a cross, and says this as the girl's father drives up. He immediately demands to know who she was talking to, and she says no one. The father seems to sense his daughter's discomfort, and says he knows it's hard for her to be a part of this world but not OF this world. But that all he asks is this one thing (wearing the head scarf), and he only does that because he loves her. Does she understand that? That was a fairly honest portrayal of the tension of how a conservative Muslim family living in America might feel. Yet, they ignore the disrespect shown the girl's faith by pressuring her to not wear the hijab. Perhaps if she were ugly, it would be OK? The portrayl was sympathetic but ultimately from a place of "how backward these Muslim people are!".<br />
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There's a twist, though! This Muslim girl is not only wanting to fit in with her American peers, she is also interested in the Christian message. Later, we see her listening to Franklin Graham preaching via a podcast. This was an important "tell" by the makers of this movie, and the perspective they bring. That Franklin Graham would be the preacher she listens to, rather than his father, shows what the movie believes is the "real" form of Christianity. All I could think of when I saw Franklin Graham's name on her ipod was all the hateful things he's said about gay people. <br />
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Of course, the girl's little brother comes in while she's resting and rips the ipod out of her hand to see what she's listening to. The little boy then tells on her, and the girl's father comes raging in, demanding that she recite "There is no God but God, and Muhammed is his profit." I was kind of surprised that he didn't demand she scream "Alluh Akbar!" The girl then admits she has become a Christian in her beliefs, which provokes violence from the father. He strikes her, and drags her by the hair out of the house and throws her in the street, slamming the door to their home and locking it. The movie is not unsympathetic with the "nasty" and "unreasonable" demands of Islam, as it shows the father wishing he didn't have to throw his daughter out, and showing him collapsing in sobs after he does. <br />
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We also have a subplot around a Chinese student (played by Paul Kwo) studying at the university. Of course, being a "godless communist", he knows nothing of God until the fight breaks out in the Philosophy class, and Josh has to defend the existence of God. But the quiet Chinese student is intrigued, and we see him talking to his father about it. The father says that whatever the professor says goes, and he doesn't want to hear any more about it. Of course, being an obedient chinese boy, he doesn't want to go against his father or the professor...but the God stuff calls to him.<br />
<br />
Finally, we have a blogger (played by fiery redhead Tricia LaFache) and her douchebag boyfriend, a power executive played by Dean Cain. She is the chief scribe of a blog called "The New Left" whose sole purpose is apparently to "ambush" Christians to challenge their faith. She is seen pouncing on one of the Duck Dynasty boys and his wife as they go into church, basically calling him a murderer for hunting ducks. She also makes a snide remark about his wife not being barefoot and pregnant. The character is portrayed as a shrill feminist leftist who hates Christians for being moral and looks to attack them however she can. Her blog is supposed to be popular, getting 1 million clicks a month for her posts. The Duck Dynasty guy is shown to be humble, and tells the blogger that if someone doesn't like the fact he's a christian who prays on camera, they can change the channel. It's all part of the theme of standing up for Jesus (the movie is dropping the more general "God" for an explicit message about Christ at this point). <br />
<br />
As luck would have it, the blogger has cancer, and it has spread widely throughout her body. It appears there's little that can be done to save her. When she tells the douchebag boyfriend, his first response is "This couldn't have waited until tomorrow?" See, he closed a deal today, and the dinner was supposed to be a celebration, and she had to ruin it with her news of cancer. Then he informs her that she violated their deal, and the relationship is over. She had thought he loved her, but she was mistaken, and since she's a feminist liberal shrew, she is now utterly alone, facing cancer and death without anyone who loves her. <br />
<br />
Turns out, the douchebag boyfriend's sister is living with Professor Radisson (played by a VERY toothy Cory Oliver) and has a mother in the final stages of dementia. The sister is very pretty, kind, and patient. She is also a Christian dating the aggressively atheist Radisson who tells her that he won't share her with a fictious God. It's revealed that the sister was once Radisson's student, and that they dated after she finished his class. He remarks how glad he was that she had a brain in her head since she was so pretty. Radisson is having colleagues over for a wine and cheese gathering, most of whom are from the Philsophy department where Radisson is under consideration for Chair. The topic of Josh's challenge comes up, and Radisson fully mocks Josh while giving grudging respect to his willingness to commit "academic suicide". The sister remarks that it doesn't seem fair to expect a freshman to fight him in a discipline that is Radisson's life's work. Radisson basically tells her to be quiet, and when she continues, he icily says, "I asked you nicely to be quiet." Radisson's colleagues are portrayed as being in complete agreement with him, slightly embarassed for the obviously intellectually inferior sister. <br />
<br />
The douchebaggery continues as dinner is served. Radisson had sent the sister out to get a very specific bottle of wine, which she had then locked in the trunk of her car. Apparently, she left it there because when they pour the wine, it is rancid. As the horror of what happened sinks in, Radisson makes a few cutting remarks about his girlfriend to the point she is almost in tears and says it's time for "the help" to leave. <br />
<br />
There is also a subplot with the burnt out preacher who is hosting an African missionary who is amazed at the wonders of America and laughs at the preacher when he gets frustrated over minor things like a car not starting. The African wants to see Disney World, but every time they get a car, it doesn't start. The African thinks this is funny and message from God, while the preacher is just exasperated. It is revealed that the preacher thinks his work has become routine and boring, while the African gets to do the "real" work of saving souls in Africa. The simple faith (whenever something happens the African says "God is good" to which the answer is "All the time" followed by "And all the time" finished with "God is good") of the African is portrayed as an ideal that has been lost by the preacher as he is consumed with worries of this world.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Josh has been studying hard to present the arugments that God exists from a philosophical standpoint. Radisson had already presented a list of prominent philosophers, all of whom were atheists with the implication being that the world's greatest "thinkers" all believed God did not exist. The movie here does not shy away from science, focusing first on the Big Bang theory of the universe. Josh makes an argument that having the universe be created out of nothing spontaneously is illogical. He then makes reference to Genesis, ignoring the whole timeline of Genesis where creationists argue that the Earth is about 6700 years old, and any evidence to the contrary is manufactured by godless scientists. Josh's argument embraces the notion that Genesis is not to be read literally, especially the part about creation being finished in 6 days. He does make an argument that it is possible that the Big Bang and Genesis's story of God saying "Let there be light" describe the same event of creation. It is an argument that falls within my personal belief system.<br />
<br />
Radissons answers this argument by quoting Stephen Hawking ("the greatest mind the world has ever known!") expressing his belief that the laws of physics make a spontaneous Big Bang inevitable. Josh doesn't have an answer to that quotation until his next argument session (he has three) where he quotes an unknown academic's criticism of Hawkings circular reasoning. The rebuttal makes sense, and presenting Hawking as infallible was an amateur mistake on Radisson's part anyway. <br />
<br />
Josh moves on during his second argument to the fossil record. I was glad to see the character of Josh embrace what science tells us while making his God argument. I have always found the argument that you can't believe in God and in the scientific method as ridiculous. There are things science doesn't explain, and it may never explain. Or maybe it will, who knows? Either way, there's nothing in my years of scientific training that has precluded a belief in God. After all, God gave us brains with which to think critically, to explore and discover the universe. As long as belief in God doesn't preclude the search for answers (and in my belief, it does not...and in fact, encourages exploration and study), God and science have no need to be in conflict. Yes, you can get into ethics and the use of science where faith plays a role, but the pursuit of knowledge in and of itself is God-neutral. <br />
<br />
Anyway, Josh brings up the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambrian_explosion" target="_blank">Cambrian explosion</a>, was the relatively rapid appearance, around <span class="nourlexpansion plainlinks" style="white-space: nowrap;">542 million years ago</span>, of most major animal phyla, as demonstrated in the fossil record. This was accompanied by major diversification of other organisms. Before the Cambrian explosion, about most organisms were simple, composed of individual cells occasionally organized into colonies. Over the following 70-80 million years, the rate of evolution accelerated by an order of magnitude and the diversity of life began to resemble that of today. The Cambrian explosion has generated extensive scientific debate. Charles Darwin discussed it as one of the main objections that could be made against his theory of evolution by natural selection.<sup> </sup>The long-running puzzlement about the appearance of the Cambrian fauna, seemingly abruptly and from nowhere, centers on three key points: 1) whether there really was a mass diversification of complex organisms over a relatively short period of time during the early Cambrian; 2) what might have caused such rapid change; 3) and what it would imply about the origin and evolution of animals. Interpretation is difficult due to a limited supply of evidence, based mainly on an incomplete fossil record and chemical signatures remaining in Cambrian rocks. Josh's argument is that the Cambrian explosion proves Genesis was correct in saying God created all the creatures, and the "sudden" appearance is proof that it wasn't happenstance, but driven by an intelligent being, aka God. <br />
<br />
Josh could have made his argument without the benefit of Genesis, and his argument loses steam whenever he whips out scripture as proof. Otherwise, his arguments are sound. There is nothing that proves God created the Cambrian explosion or the Big Bang, but there is also nothing proving otherwise. In other words, it is POSSIBLE that a higher being known as God caused these things to happen. That's all Josh really needs to prove.<br />
<br />
Radisson, of course, is pissed. He announces that the last session will be different. Instead of letting Josh lecture the class, it will be a real debate between him and Josh. The movie plays this as Radisson's desperate move to counter Josh's sound arguments on behalf of God. Radisson by this point has told Josh that he won't stand for Josh's attempt to "humilate" him in front of the class, and that he will make it his mission to make sure Josh never makes it into any graduate school program if he continues. It was an unnecessary addition to the persecution theme, and reveals that Radission is driven by something more than intellectual snobbery. <br />
<br />
Josh finally asks Radisson what happened to him to make him so aggressively anti-God. Radisson reveals that his mother died of cancer at age 12, basically leaving him an orphan. When his mother got sick, she was a godly woman. The young Radisson prayed that his mother would live, but she died. Josh replies that sometimes God's answer is no, and Radisson responds that any God would orphan a little boy who prayed so hard for her to live was not a God worth believing in. <br />
<br />
In the climatic scene of Josh and Radisson's back-and-forth, Josh finally calls out Radisson's hatred of God as going beyond just mere non-belief. He pushes Radisson to admit that he hates God and demands to know WHY. Radisson finally explodes that YES, he does hate God for killing his mother when he was a child, and Josh sums up by saying, "How, then, Professor, can you hate something so much that you claim does not exist?" It's a very good question, and one that Radisson does not have an answer for. His hatred of God is a concession of God's very existance, for you can't hate something that doesn't exist. There must be an object for hate, and that object must by definition exist. At this point, the Chinese student stands up and declares, "God. Is. Not. Dead." And slowly, the entire class stands up declaring the same. Josh has won the argument and slain the atheist dragon!<br />
<br />
There's a Christian rock band in town, and all the characters have tickets to it. Josh takes the newly believing Chinese student since his second ticket is available after the Bitchy Girlfriend has dumped him for standing up for God. The formerly muslim girl is there, and even the nasty feminist blogger shows up. Of course, she shows up to confront the rock band about their beliefs. They are calm, and ask her where she finds her hope. At this point, the blogger admits that she's dying and scared and has nothing to give her hope. The band prays with her in a very sweet scene, and we are left to hope she will convert. The band is rocking the arena and giving a shout out to Josh for standing up for Jesus (the movie wisely doesn't get into the intricacies of the holy trinity), and asks everyone in the arena to text everyone in their phone the message: "God is not dead!" Of course, they all do.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Radisson is in his office looking over the signed declarations of his students that God is dead. He then pulls out an old envelope and reads a letter from his mother, written on her deathbed. She expresses her sorrow that she won't see him grow up and become the man God intends him to be. So Radisson, apparently having a change of heart, sees a newspaper article about the concert, calls his girlfriend to leave a message for her to call him, and heads toward the arena. It starts to rain, and he's rushing ahead. As he enters the crosswalk, a car runs a red light and hits him. The car drives off, leaving Radisson broken on the pavement. Luckily, the preacher and the African see this happen, and get out to give aid. The African immediately says that Radisson's ribs are ALL broken and his lungs are filling with blood. The preacher tells him that God has given him a last chance to believe, and that God could have let him die on impact. Radisson has a conversion moments before he dies. The movie ends with Radisson's phone lighting up with his girlfriend's text telling him that "God is not dead!". <br />
<br />
Cue credits, which contain something suprising after the list of cast and crew. There is an extensive listing of court cases against universities across the nation that have been charged with persecuting Christians and stopped by the courts on the basis of the 1st Amendment. The cases scroll by very quickly, but end with an exhortation that if anyone believes their school is persecuting them based on their Christian beliefs to contact a group of lawyers who can help.<br />
<br />
What I could gleam from the cases they presented, they mostly dealt with funding of Christian organizations on campus from student activity funds on a neutral basis, OR with recognition of a Christian organization without requiring them to admit non-christians as members. What had happened was state universities had begun denying faith groups funding from student activity funds on the theory that a state institution could be sued for promoting a certain faith if they funded explicitly Christian groups. There weren't many explictly Muslim or other faith groups around asking for funding, so the prohibition mostly focused on Chrsitian groups. The Supreme Court has held that universities may not actively discriminate against faith groups in funding. As long as the faith-based group meets the neutral criteria for being a student organization, it must be allowed to seek funding on an equal basis with non-faith groups. Further, the university could not force a faith group to change its membership criteria under the guise of non-discrimination policies. So a Christian student group that required members to be Christians, and perhaps subscribe to a certain set of beliefs had to not only be recognized by the university but funded on equal basis of other student groups. None of which I have an objection to. Our courts are there to decide these questions, and it is wrong for a public university to make life harder for Christian groups than other groups.<br />
<br />
This theme of persecution is where I have some issues with this movie. I have a bachelors and a masters degree from a public university, and my law degree was from a private school once associated with Baptists. As a result, I have a fair amount of experience in an academic setting, especially as it existed in the mid-to-late 1990s. Academia is not full of frothing-at-the-mouth atheists looking to undermine Christian beliefs at every turn. A professor like Radisson would not last long, and he certainly would not be allowed to conduct his classes in a way that demands signed statements of (non) belief from students in order to get a good grade. I'm sure there are plenty of academics as smug as Radisson who look down upon any students who are devoutly religious. The caricature of academia in this movie is simply false from my experience. I could see a philosophy professor assigning a debate about the existance of God argued from a philosophical standpoint, but such an exercise would be carefully laid out and neutral. It would have to be in order to not cause an uproar. The criteria would be carefully laid out, and it would be on that basis the arguments would be judged. A devoutly religious student would just as capable of receving an A as a devoutly atheist student. <br />
<br />
Yet, I think this movie gives us a keen insight into the evangelical, conservative Christian mindset. The attempt to legislate "religious freedom" laws are based in this idea that Christians are under fire in America and that without action, persecution is inevitable. It seems that losing the fight on gay marriage has created a seige mentality where faith is in danger unless that faith can be imposed upon others. Somehow, providing service to gays is the equivalent of forcing a believer to sign a statement of faith that goes against his/her religion. <br />
<br />
Academia is not some monolithic entity of non-believers out to crush Christian belief wherever it may be found. Liberals are not godless, angry, and anti-God. There are plenty of us who have a faith system that includes a loving God, and our lives are not empty or meaningless. Atheists are capable of holding moral absolutes like murder is wrong. While they may not believe in an entity creating or enforcing moral order, it is pretty evident that an "anything goes" philosophy is not only unworkable but would create utter chaos. <br />
<br />
The movie did touch on the very real pain that can be behind some anti-religious beliefs. Yet, it's not true of all atheists. Most of the atheists I know don't care, and just want to be left alone. They also don't want to have the government force a certain set of beliefs on them that have little basis in public order or good. To be sure, there are people who are aggressively anti-Christian, anti-God, etc. Many of those people have good reason to hold those beliefs. Christianity, in all its diversity, has done some real harm to people over time. In the gay world alone, there are countless stories of little boys and girls who have been shamed and punished for being different. They have been told that God HATES who they are, how they love, and who they love. Too many have grown up being told their Creator created them to be something to be despised, ridiculed, and punished just for being who they are. These largely conservative "Christians" have driven away these believers just as surely as the apostles tried to turn away children from Jesus in the famous biblical story. <br />
<br />
It is my belief that God exists, and that He weeps at the things done in His name. His heart surely breaks over the souls who have been driven to hate his name in order to survive spiritual abuse. Yet, you have a whole subset of people who are convinced that by losing a political argument, they are persecuted. They look out at a world that isn't how they would have it, and they see nothing but hostility and secret plans to destroy them. It's really quite sad, and more than a little pathetic. It is, however, a reality with which we must deal as a society. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-72423921834434597542012-02-13T06:34:00.413-05:002012-02-13T06:34:00.343-05:00Since You've Been GoneIt was about this time 11 years ago that you drew your last breath, arms tucked under several blankets, John Denver playing on repeat over your speakers, an allergy mask over your mouth and nose, and two garbage bags tied around your head secured about your neck with linked heavy duty rubber bands. You had left nearly 10 notes neatly laid out on your dining room table addressed to various people. You left a handwritten note on a sticky note by your bed identifying your physician and counselor, noting that neither one knew of your plans.<br />
<br />
Usually, on this day, I remember everything that happened leading up to your suicide and my notification. I remember coming home, going through all the motions that one has to go through to bury a loved one. I remember not crying until that first night, after I had a shower, when it just hit me, and I sank to my knees in my mom's living room and sobbed uncontrollably over what you had done. I also remember my grandparents, YOUR parents, changing that day, and a light extinguishing inside them that has never reappeared.<br />
<br />
Today, however, on the 11th anniversary of your suicide, I want to try something different. It's an open letter, if you will, to let you know some of the things you have missed by choosing to take your life on February 13, 2001.<br />
<br />
<strong>FAMILY</strong><br />
<ul><li>My graduation from the dual degree program, which meant two different graduations on the same weekend. Your parents showed, and Aunt Janie came with Bad Grandma. You not being there was a wet blanket on the festivities.</li>
<li>I accepted a job at CDC in genomics. I ended up transferring to Global Immunizations right before the two year Presidential management fellowship was up, but I've now been at CDC for over 10 years. I currently work in the policy office of the Center for Global Health.</li>
<li>You missed my political activism take off. I've held several statewide offices in the Young Democrats, and a couple of national ones at the Southeast region level. I was the first openly gay state president of young democrats in Georgia history. </li>
<li>I started playing rugby last fall in a bid to take better care of myself. I enjoy it, and I'm trying to learn to trust my physicality. It would have been nice to have you see one of my games.</li>
<li>Your life insurance policies allowed me to immediately pay off my student loans, although for months afterward, I would have nightmares that you had faked your death, and the insurance company wanted its money back.</li>
<li>Your life insurance also allowed me to purchase a condo in Atlanta. I still live in it. I also have your bedroom furniture as my own. Some think it's creepy to sleep in the bed that you died in, but I now look at it as MY bed, and it's not like I kept the mattress. I also have your dining room table, where you left all the notes.</li>
<li>We followed your instructions fairly closely. However, I felt you owed it to your parents to have a place where they could go and "visit" your remains. After cremation, I had half of your ashes scattered as you asked, and half were buried in a plot next to where Grandma Ann and Papa will be buried someday. It has been a great source of comfort to them.</li>
<li>You aged your parents overnight with your suicide. They became OLD after you died. The light in their eyes dimmed significantly. I am convinced you shaved off at least 10 years of a life they would have lived. The only positive thing to come out of your suicide is the family has become closer; we look out for each other better.</li>
<li>Mom still feels tremendous anger and guilt over your suicide. She thinks if she just hadn't divorced you in 1998 you might have lived. This, despite even your admission that the divorce was a good thing. She dreams of you when she's sick, and often it involves her yelling at you about how you could do this to all of us.</li>
<li>Pretty much every year between Christmas and this day, a pall is cast over all of our lives as we become more moody, sometimes depressed, about the coming anniversary of your suicide. You foolishly thought we'd just get over your death after a brief period of mourning. It has not worked out that way. Movies that have suicide as a plot point, especially ones that approach your method, are almost unwatchable. You've made us all members of a horrible fraternity of suicide survivors. I'm luckier than most because there was nothing left unsaid between us. I just wish you'd had more faith in yourself to make it through the dark period. </li>
<li>Even your friends aren't immune. They miss you terribly too, and your absence is something they notice. I know that might surprise you. No one who knew you and loved you has been left unscathed by your suicide. We have all moved on with our lives, yes, but the memory of your death is never too far away. </li>
</ul>One thing that's amazed me is how much the WORLD has changed since you ended your life. Here are some highlights of what's happened since that February 13.<br />
<b>CURRENT EVENTS/POLITICS</b><br />
<br />
2001<br />
<div style="background-color: white; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
<li>FBI agent Robert Hanssen is charged with spying for Russia for 15 years (Feb. 20).</li><br />
<li>Balance of the Senate shifts after Jim Jeffords of Vermont changes his party affiliation from Republican to Independent. The move strips Republicans of control of the Senate and gives Democrats the narrowest of majorities (50-49-1) (June 5). (A little birthday present for me!)</li><br />
<li>Bush signs new tax-cut law, the largest in 20 years (June 7). This is the beginning of the end of the surplus.</li><br />
<li>Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh executed (June 11).</li><br />
<li><a href="http://www.infoplease.com/spot/sept11features.html" jquery17106947503226554332="92">Terrorists attack United States</a>. Hijackers ram jetliners into twin towers of New York City's World Trade Center and the Pentagon. A fourth hijacked plane crashes 80 mi outside of Pittsburgh (Sept. 11). Toll of dead and injured in thousands. Within days, Islamic militant <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0884404.html" jquery17106947503226554332="93">Osama bin Laden</a> and the <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/spot/terror_qaeda.html" jquery17106947503226554332="94">al-Qaeda terrorist network</a> are identified as the parties behind the attacks. Like most Americans, I watched this live on TV at work.</li><br />
<li><a href="http://www.infoplease.com/spot/anthrax1.html" jquery17106947503226554332="95">Anthrax</a> scare rivets nation, as anthrax-laced letters are sent to various media and government officials. Several postal workers die after handling the letters. CDC was at the center of this storm, and it resulted in the ouster of the CDC Director.</li><br />
<li>Beatle George Harrison dies of cancer on Nov. 29.</li><br />
</div><br />
2002<br />
<div style="background-color: white; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
<li>President Bush declares Iran, Iraq, and North Korea to be "an axis of evil" in his first State of the Union address. </li><br />
</div><li>Kenneth L. Lay, big buddy of Bush and chairman of bankrupt energy trader Enron, resigns; company collapses after it is revealed it hid debt and misrepresented earnings.</li><br />
<li>U.S. withdraws from International Court treaty. First of many "screw you" messages sent to the world from the Bush administration.</li><br />
<li>U.S. abandons 31-year-old Antiballistic Missile treaty (June 13). Oh look, another "screw you"!</li><br />
<li>Bush signs corporate reform bill (July 30) in response to a spate of corporate scandals: Enron, Arthur Andersen, Tyco, Qwest, Global Crossing, ImClone, and Adelphia, among others, were convicted or placed under federal investigation for various misadventures in fraud and crooked accounting.</li><br />
<li>Pennsylvania miners rescued after spending 77 hours in a dark, flooded mine shaft (July 28).</li><br />
<li>Bush addresses United Nations, calling for a "regime change" in Iraq (Sept. 12). See, Bush is going to avenge his daddy by invading Iraq after getting the CIA to deliver fake intelligence on "weapons of mass destruction". Sorry for the spoiler.</li><br />
<li>Snipers prey upon DC suburbs, killing ten and wounding others (Oct. 2–24). Police arrest John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo (Oct. 24).</li><br />
<li>After a nasty election where the GOP said Democrats were on the side of terrorists, Republicans retake the Senate in midterm elections; gain additional House seats (Nov. 5). </li><br />
<li>Department of Homeland Security is established (Nov. 25). </li><br />
<li>Boston archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law resigns as a result of the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandals and cover-up of priest-child molestation. (Dec. 13).</li><br />
<li>Jimmy Carter wins Nobel Peace prize. Timing is seen as a rebuke to President Bush's rush to war with Iraq.</li><br />
<br />
2003<br />
<div style="background-color: white; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
<li>Space shuttle <em>Columbia</em> literally dissolves upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, killing all 7 astronauts (Feb. 1). </li><br />
<li><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">U.S. and Britain launch war against Iraq (March 19).</div></li><br />
<li><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Baghdad falls to US troops (April 9)</div></li><br />
<li>Bush signs ten-year, $350-billion tax cut package, the third-largest tax cut in U.S. history (May 28). First time ever that the country has cut taxes in a time of war. Step 2 in financial ruin.</li><br />
<li>Iran is discovered to have been hiding nuclear activities (June 18)</li><br />
<li>California governor Gray Davis ousted in recall vote; actor Arnold Schwarzenegger elected in his place (Oct. 7).</li><br />
<li>Saddam Hussein captured by US troops, hiding in a spider hole. (Dec 13)</li><br />
</div><br />
2004<br />
<li>Bush proposes ambitious space program that includes flights to the Moon, Mars, and beyond (Jan. 14). Turns out to be nothing more than a cheap re-election ploy.</li><br />
<li>A. Q. Khan, founder of Pakistan's nuclear program, admits he sold nuclear-weapons designs to other countries, including North Korea, Iran, and Libya (Feb. 4).</li><br />
<li>Spain is attacked by Al Queda, killing over 200 people, and resulting in the government being voted out of office days later. (March)</li><br />
<li>U.S. media release graphic photos of American soldiers abusing and sexually humiliating Iraqi prisoners at <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0922747.html#A0922749" jquery17103023744284860747="93">Abu Ghraib</a> prison. Images spark outrage around the world (April 30). </li><br />
<li>Gay marriages begin in Massachusetts, the first state in the country to legalize such unions (May 17). No pestilience, plagues, or other vengeance from God happens. Massachusetts also doesn't slide into the ocean.</li><br />
<li>Summer Olympics held in Athens, Greece (August)</li><br />
<li>Bush is reelected president with a little over 50% of the vote. Georgia (and many other states) officially ban all recognition of gay relationships in the state constitution. Georiga's amendment passed with 76% of the vote.</li><br />
<li>Yassir Arafat dies (Nov 14) <div style="background-color: white; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"></div></li><br />
<li>Ukraine presidential election declared fraudulent (Nov. 21).</li><br />
<li>Hamid Karzai inaugurated as Afghanistan's first popularly elected president (Dec. 7). </li><br />
<li>Massive protests by supporters of opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko's lead to a new Ukrainian election; Yushchenko eventually declared prime minister (Dec. 26). </li><br />
Enormous tsunami devastates Asia; 200,000 killed (Dec. 26).<br />
<div style="background-color: white; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">2005</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
<li>The Terry Schiavo case (right to die) becomes the focus of an emotionally charged battle in Congress (March 20). </li><br />
<li>Pope John Paul II Dies (April 2). Benedict XVI (former Cardinal Ratzinger of Germany) becomes the next pope (April 24).</li><br />
</div><li>Former Teheran mayor <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0932911.html" jquery17102290014535864734="78">Mahmoud Ahmadinejad</a>, a hard-line conservative, wins Iran's presidential election with 62% of the vote. He defiantly pursues Iran's nuclear ambitions over the course of his first year in office (June 24). </li><br />
<li>Supreme Court Justice <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0836351.html" jquery17102290014535864734="102">Sandra Day O'Connor</a> announces her retirement (July 1).</li><br />
<li>London hit by Islamic terrorist bombings, killing 52 and wounding about 700. It is Britain's worst attack since World War II (July 7). </li><br />
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<li>Hurricane Katrina wreaks catastrophic damage on the Gulf coast, including the drowning of New Orleans; more than 1,000 die and millions are left homeless. Americans are shaken not simply by the magnitude of the disaster but by how ill-prepared all levels of government are in its aftermath. (Aug. 25-30). </li><br />
<li>Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who served on the U.S. Supreme Court for 33 years, dies (Sept. 3). He is replaced by John Roberts.</li><br />
<li>Another major hurricane, Rita, ravages the Gulf coast (Sept. 23).</li><br />
<li>House majority leader Tom Delay is accused of conspiring to violate Texas's election laws. He steps aside from his House leadership position (Sept. 28). </li><br />
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<li>A federal grand jury indicts Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, with obstruction of justice and perjury in connection with a White House leak investigation. (Oct. 28). </li><br />
<li>President Bush nominates arch conservative judge Samuel Alito to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court after failing to foist a random woman on the court from the White House Counsel's office (Oct. 31). </li><br />
<li>California Republican congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham resigns after pleading guilty to taking at least $2.4 million in bribes (Nov. 28).</li><br />
<li>The press reveals that in 2002, Bush signed a presidential order to allow the National Security Agency to spy on Americans suspected of being connected to terrorist activity without warrants. (Dec. 15).</li><br />
</div><br />
2006<br />
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<li>Jack Abramoff, a lobbyist with ties to several members of Congress, is sentenced to six years in prison by a Florida judge on fraud charges (Mar. 29).</li><br />
</div><li>The Supreme Court rules that military tribunals cannot be set up to try prisoners in the absence of Congressional authorization and that prisoners are entitled to fair trials under the Geneva Conventions (June 29).</li><br />
<li><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Democrats gain control of both houses of Congress in the midterm elections (Nov. 7). HUGE surge of relief.</div></li><br />
<div></div><li><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Saddam Hussein is convicted of crimes against humanity by an Iraqi court (Nov. 5), and hanged in Baghdad. A witness videotapes the hanging using a cell phone and captures the chaos that unfolds as Shiite guards taunt Hussein (Dec. 30). Of course, it goes viral on the internet.<br />
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2007</div></li><br />
<li><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">California Democrat Nancy Pelosi becomes the first woman speaker of the House and will preside over the 100th Congress. Democrats take control of both houses of Congress for the first time since 1994 (Jan. 4). </div></li><br />
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<li>President Bush announces that a surge of an additional 20,000 troops will be deployed to Baghdad to try to stem the sectarian fighting (Jan. 10). </li><br />
<li>Lewis “Scooter” Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, is found guilty of lying to FBI agents and to a grand jury in the investigation of who leaked to the press the name of a covert CIA agent. The agent, Valerie Plame Wilson, is married to Joseph Wilson, who in 2003 questioned the Bush administration’s claim that Saddam Hussein was pursuing a nuclear weapons program by seeking to obtain uranium from Niger (March 6). Libby is sentenced to 30 months in jail (June 5). President Bush commutes his sentence (July 2), but he refuses to pardon him.</li><br />
<li>Bush and his Attorney General caught up in a mess about interfering with US Attorney investigations, and then firing US Attorneys who didn't take politics into consideration about which crimes to pursue.</li><br />
<li>President Bush signs law that legalizes government eavesdropping of telephone conversations and emails of American citizens and people overseas without a warrant as long as there is a "reasonable belief" that one party is not in the United States (Aug. 5).</li><br />
<li>Al Gore wins Nobel Peace Prize for his work on climate change.</li><br />
</div><br />
2008<br />
<ul><li><b>Jan. 3:</b> The presidential primary season begins with Iowa wins by Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee. </li>
<li><b>Feb. 5:</b> Arizona senator John McCain emerges as the clear front runner among Republicans in the Super Tuesday primary races. On the Democratic side, New York senator Hillary Clinton wins big states such as California and Massachusetts, but Illinois senator Barack Obama takes more states.</li>
<li><b>March 8:</b> President George W. Bush, saying intelligence officials must have "all the tools they need to stop the terrorists," vetoes legislation that would have outlawed all methods of interrogation that are banned in the Army Field Manual, which prohibits waterboarding and other harsh techniques that have been used by the CIA.</li>
<li><b>March 18:</b> Sen. Barack Obama delivers a pivotal speech on race, denouncing the provocative remarks on race made by his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jr., but explains that the complexities of race in America have fueled anger and resentment among many African Americans. <b></b></li>
<li><b>March 11:</b> The government begins to intervene in the U.S. financial system to avoid a crisis. The Federal Reserve outlines a $200 billion loan program that lets the country's biggest banks borrow Treasury securities at discounted rates and post mortgage-backed securities as collateral. </li>
<li><b>March 16:</b> The Federal Reserve approves a $30 billion loan to JPMorgan Chase so it can take over Bear Stearns, which is on the verge of collapse. </li>
<li><b>May 15:</b> California's Supreme Court rules, 4 to 3, that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. </li>
<li><b>May 20:</b> Senator Edward Kennedy is diagnosed with malignant glioma, a brain tumor.</li>
<li><b>June 3:</b> On the final day of the 2008 primary season, Sen. Barack Obama secures 2,154 delegates and becomes the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. He's the first black candidate to head a major party ticket in a presidential election. </li>
<li><b>June 12:</b> The U.S. Supreme Court rules, 5 to 4, that prisoners at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, have a right to challenge their detention in federal court.</li>
<li><b>June 26:</b> The U.S. Supreme Court rules, 5 to 4, that the Constitution protects an individual's right to possess a gun, but insists that the ruling "is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose."</li>
<li><b>Oct. 10:</b> Connecticut's Supreme Court rules that a state law that limits marriage to heterosexual couples and a civil union law that protects gay couples violate equal protection rights guaranteed by the constitution. </li>
<li><b>Oct. 27:</b> A jury finds Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) guilty of seven felony charges for lying on financial disclosure forms and failing to report more than $250,000 in gifts from the VECO Corporation, one of Alaska's biggest oil-field contractors.</li>
<li><b>Nov. 4:</b> Democratic senator Barack Obama wins the presidential election against Sen. John McCain, taking 338 electoral votes to McCain's 161. Obama becomes the first African American to be elected president of the United States. Also in the election, Democrats increase their majority in the House and pick up five seats in the Senate. </li>
<li><b>Nov. 4:</b> Voters in California narrowly pass a ballot measure, Proposition 8, that overturns the May 15, 2008, California Supreme Court decision that said same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. </li>
<li><b>Dec. 19:</b> President George W. Bush announces plans to lend General Motors and Chrysler $17.4 billion to survive the next three months. </li>
</ul>2009<br />
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<li><b>Jan. 22:</b> President Obama signs executive orders closing all secret prisons and detention camps run by the CIA, including the infamous Guantnamo Bay prison in Cuba, and banning coercive interrogation methods.</li><br />
<li><b>Jan. 31:</b> Michael Steele is selected by the Republican National Committee to be its new chairman. He is the first African-American to hold the position. Because, after all, who better to fight a black man than another black man, right?</li><br />
<li><strong>Feb. 17:</strong> President Obama signs the $787 billion stimulus package into law. The president's hope is that the package will create 3.5 million jobs for Americans in the next two years.<br />
<br />
</li><br />
<li><b>March 2:</b> Insurance giant American International Group reports a $61.7 billion loss for the fourth quarter of 2008. A.I.G. lost $99.3 billion in 2008. The federal government, which has already provided the company with a $60 billion loan, will be giving A.I.G. an additional $30 billion, making it the largest company loan the government has provided during the bailout. <b>March 14:</b> A.I.G. announces they will pay top executives more than $165 million in bonuses, despite having received $170 billion in bailout funds from the U.S. government. The company claims the bonuses were promised in contracts and are no longer negotiable. Nearly 80% of A.I.G. is now owned by the federal government. <b>March 16:</b> President Obama has asked Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to pursue all "legal avenues" in order to block the bonuses to A.I.G. executives. </li><br />
<li><b>March 6:</b> Unemployment in the U.S., which has been steadily growing for several months, reaches 8.1% in February 2009. This is the highest rate since 1983.</li><br />
<li><b>April 2:</b> Rod Blagojevich, the former governor of Illinois charged with attempting to sell President Obama's vacated senate seat to the highest bidder, is indicted on 19 charges, 16 of them felonies.</li><br />
<li><b>April 3:</b> The Iowa Supreme Court unanimously rejects a state law banning same-sex marriage. <b>April 27:</b> Same-sex couples are granted marriage licenses for the first time in Iowa. Iowa is the third state to allow same-sex marriages, after Massachusetts and Connecticut. Three of the judges are later thrown out in a retention election.</li><br />
<li><b>April 7:</b> Vermont becomes the fourth U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage, just days after Iowa becomes the third. The legislature votes to override Governor Jim Douglas's veto of a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry, nine years after the state became the first in the nation to allow civil unions. Vermont is the first state legislature to legalize the practice; the other three U.S. states' approval of same-sex marriage came from the courts.</li><br />
<li><b>April 30:</b> Justice David H. Souter announces he is retiring from the U.S. Supreme Court when the current term ends in June. He is replaced by Sonia Sotomayor.</li><br />
<li><strong>April 30:</strong> Chrysler files for bankruptcy protection while entering into a partnership agreement with Fiat. It is the first time since 1933 that an American automaker has been forced to restructure under bankruptcy protection.</li><br />
<li><b>May 6:</b> Gov. John Baldacci of Maine signs a bill legalizing same-sex marriage. The law will not go into effect until summer 2009. Voters overturn the law in a state election.</li><br />
<li><b>May 26:</b> The California Supreme Court upholds the ban on same-sex marriage, solidifying the vote made by California residents last November. The 18,000 same-sex couples who were married before the ban went to effect are still legally married, however. </li><br />
<li><strong>June 1:</strong> General Motors files for bankruptcy and announces it will close 14 plants in the United States.</li><br />
<li><strong>June 4:</strong> In a speech during a visit to Cairo, Egypt, President Obama calls for "a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world," asking for new alliances based on mutual respect and common interests. </li><br />
<li><b>June 25:</b> Michael Jackson dies at age 50. He is found unconscious in his home, then rushed to a Los Angeles hospital where he is pronounced dead. His physician is found guilty of the death.</li><br />
<li><b>June 30:</b> Nearly eight months after the election and a long battle over a recount, the Minnesota Supreme Court rules that Al Franken (Dem.) wins the U.S. senate seat for Minnesota. The final recount gives Franken a 312-vote lead. His rival, Norm Coleman (Rep.) concedes. Franken's win gives the Democrats in the Senate the filibuster-proof 60-seat majority they have been hoping for.</li><br />
<li><b>Aug. 25:</b> Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy, a fixture in the Senate for 46 years, dies of brain cancer at the age of 77. </li><br />
<li><strong>Oct. 19:</strong> The federal government announces it will no longer prosecute those who use or sell marijuana for medical reasons, if they are complying with state law. </li><br />
<li><strong>Oct. 21:</strong> The Obama administration orders pay cuts for the top-paid employees at those firms that received the most stimulus money. The top 25 earners at seven of the companies that received the most taxpayer money will have compensation cut up to 50%.</li><br />
<li><b>Nov. 5:</b> A shooting at the <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/us/A0819244.html" jquery17108890468694075958="168">Fort Hood</a> army post in Texas kills 13 and injures 29. Ten of those killed are military personnel, while one is a civilian. Maj. <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/biography/var/nidalmalikhasan.html" jquery17108890468694075958="169">Nidal Malik Hasan</a>, an army psychiatrist, is the alleged shooter. He was shot four times by an officer on the scene, but he survived the attack. </li><br />
<li><b>Dec. 1:</b> <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/biography/var/barackobama.html" jquery17108890468694075958="172">President Obama</a> announces that the U.S. military will be sending an additional 30,000 troops to <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107264.html" jquery17108890468694075958="173">Afghanistan</a>, in an attempt to prevent further <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/spot/taliban.html" jquery17108890468694075958="174">Taliban</a> insurgencies. The troop surge will begin in Jan. 2010, and will bring the total number of American troops in Afghanistan to 100,000. </li><br />
<li><b>Dec. 25:</b> A Nigerian man on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit allegedly attempted to ignite an explosive device hidden in his underwear. The explosive device that failed to detonate was a mixture of powder and liquid that did not alert security personnel in the airport. The alleged bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, told officials later that he was directed by the terrorist group <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/spot/al-qaeda-terrorism.html" jquery17108890468694075958="175">Al Qaeda</a>. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a group based in Yemen, takes responsibility for orchestrating the attack. </li><br />
<li>Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize basically because he's not President Bush.</li><br />
</div><br />
2010<br />
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<li><b>Jan. 21:</b> In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that the government cannot restrict the spending of corporations for political campaigns, maintaining that it's their First Amendment right to support candidates as they choose. Since corporations are people under the constitution, and all. This decision reverses 100 years of law on the speech "rights" of corporations. </li><br />
<li><b>Feb. 2:</b> Following President Obama's State of the Union Declaration that he wants an end to the military policy "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which forbids openly gay men and women to serve in the military, top officials at the Department of Defense look for a way to end the law. Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announces that he feels repealing the policy is "the right thing to do." Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he will follow through with Obama's orders. </li><br />
<li><b>Mar. 21:</b> The House of Representatives passes a bill that will overhaul the American health-care system. The bill will be sent to President Obama to sign into law. Among other things, the bill will allow children to stay on their parents' health insurance plans until the age of 26, prevent insurance companies from denying coverage due to a patient's "pre-existing conditions," subsidize private insurance for low- and middle-income Americans, and require all Americans to have some sort of health insurance. The budget office estimates that the law will reduce federal budget deficits by $143 billion over the next 10 years. The government plans to earn money for the law with a tax on high-cost employer-sponsored health plans and a tax on the investment income of the wealthiest Americans. <b>Mar. 23:</b> President Obama signs the health-care overhaul bill, called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, into law. <b>Mar. 30:</b> Obama signs the "reconciliation" bill, which outlines minor changes and additions to the new health-care act, coupled with the bill that overhauls the student loan industry. The health care revisions were drafted by the U.S. Senate as a measure to prevent Republicans from filibustering the original health-care bill. </li><br />
<li><b>June 23:</b> After a controversial interview with Rolling Stone that included some demeaning remarks about President Obama and his administration, General Stanley McChrystal is fired as commander of the American Forces in Afghanistan and replaced by his boss, General David Patraeus. </li><br />
<li><b>July 15:</b> Congress approves a landmark financial regulation bill, strongly supported by President Obama and by and large the Democratic Party. The bill increases the number of companies that will be regulated by government oversight, a panel to watch for risks in the financial system, and a consumer protection agency. Some Democrats and critics argue that the bill is not tough enough; Republicans claim it gives the government too much power in the business sector. </li><br />
<li><b>Aug. 4:</b> A federal judge strikes down the voter-approved gay marriage ban in California, calling the law unconstitutional. Judge Vaughn Walker, the chief judge of the Federal District Court of the Northern District of California, claims that the law, which was voted into place with 52% of the vote in 2008 as Proposition 8, discriminates against gay men and women. <b>Aug. 12:</b> Judge Walker lifts the stay on the banning of gay marriage in California, allowing same-sex couples to marry while higher courts consider the matter. He delays implementation of the order until August 18, however. <b>Aug. 16:</b> A U.S. appeals court rules that same-sex couples cannot marry in the state of California while the court considers the constitutionality of the ban. </li><br />
<li><b>Aug. 5:</b> The United States Senate votes 63 to 37 to confirm President Obama's most recent nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/biography/var/elenakagan.html" jquery17108794517043024782="138">Elena Kagan</a>, as the newest Justice. Kagan is only the fourth woman to ever hold this position, and she'll be the third female member of the current bench, joining <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0772253.html" jquery17108794517043024782="139">Ruth Bader Ginsburg</a> and <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/biography/var/soniasotomayor.html" jquery17108794517043024782="140">Sonia Sotomayor</a>. </li><br />
<li><b>Aug. 31:</b> Seven years after the war in Iraq began, President Obama announces the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom with a withdrawal of combat troops. Obama emphasizes that U.S. domestic problems, mainly the flailing economy and widespread unemployment, are more pressing matters to his country. The U.S. will continue to be a presence in Iraq, mainly with civilian contractors but also with a smaller military contingent of approximately 50,000 troops. The remaining troops are scheduled to leave Iraq by the end of 2011. </li><br />
<li><b>Nov. 4:</b> The Republican Party gains control of the House of Representatives in the midterm elections, but the Democratic party retains the majority in the Senate. Two members of the Tea Party also have victories, <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/biography/us/congress/paul-rand.html" jquery17108794517043024782="146">Rand Paul</a> of Kentucky and <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/biography/us/congress/rubio-marco.html" jquery17108794517043024782="147">Mark Rubio</a> of Florida. Senate majority leader <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/biography/us/congress/reid-harry.html" jquery17108794517043024782="148">Harry Reid</a> wins his reelection in Nevada and his fellow Democrats win key Senate races across the country; therefore, Reid maintains his leadership position. Representative <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/biography/us/congress/boehner-john-andrew.html" jquery17108794517043024782="149">John Boehner</a> of Ohio is poised to become the new Speaker of the House, replacing Democratic Representative <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/biography/var/nancypelosi.html" jquery17108794517043024782="150">Nancy Pelosi</a> of California. </li><br />
<li><b>Nov. 24:</b> Tom Delay, the former House Majority Leader from Texas, is convicted of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering involving corporate campaign contributions. He faces up to 99 years in prison in his sentencing. </li><br />
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<li><b>Dec. 18:</b> The Senate votes 65 to 31 in favor of repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the Clinton-era military policy that forbids openly gay men and women from serving in the military. Eight Republicans side with the Democrats to strike down the ban. The repeal is sent to <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/us/government/presidential-campaign-2008-barack-obama.html" jquery17108794517043024782="153">President Obama</a> for his final signature. The ban will not be lifted officially until Obama, Defense Secretary <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/biography/var/robertgates.html" jquery17108794517043024782="154">Robert Gates</a>, and Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, agree that the military is ready to enact the change and that it won't affect military readiness. <b>Dec. 22:</b> President Obama officially repeals the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military policy. </li><br />
<li><b>Dec. 22:</b> After years of debate and compromise, Congress passes a $4.3 billion health bill for the rescue workers involved in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in New York City. The bill will cover $1.8 billion in health-care costs for the 60,000 rescue workers registered for monitoring and treatment; the City of New York will pay 10% of the bill's overall costs. The bill will also reopen the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund for five years, which provides money to compensate for job loss. </li><br />
</div><br />
2011<br />
Last year saw the Republicans drive the country to brink of bankruptcy by refusing to raise the debt ceiling. The hard right of the part is in control, and a "grand bargain" with Speaker John Boehner was derailed. A super committee meant to find $1.5T in budget cuts failed miserably. It's a weird time.<br />
<br />
Well, that's what you've missed. The world is a very different place than when you were last in it. I could have used your guidance and advice many times. But what is done cannot be undone. I just hope you are resting in peace.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-82084162465838719842012-01-31T16:34:00.000-05:002012-01-31T16:34:21.917-05:00Funny, I don't remember getting this particular email in 2004 or 2008! The emphasis on certain words is mine.<br />
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<blockquote>Subject: "Did You Know?": Obama/Candidate Photographs and the Election<br />
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POLITICAL ACTIVITY AND THE FEDERAL WORK PLACE – GENERALLY <br />
1. Q. Now that President Obama is a candidate for reelection, may federal employees display his picture in their offices?<br />
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Answer: NO. An employee covered by the Hatch Act may not engage in political activity while on duty, in a government room or building, while wearing an official uniform, or using a government vehicle. 5 U.S.C. § 7324. Political activity is defined as activity directed toward the success or failure of a political party, candidate for a partisan political office or partisan political group. 5 C.F.R. § 734.101.<br />
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Thus, the Hatch Act prohibits federal employees from, among other things, displaying pictures of candidates for partisan public office in the federal workplace. See 5 C.F.R. § 734.306, Example 16. Because President Obama is a candidate for reelection, the Hatch Act prohibits an employee from displaying his photograph in the federal workplace, unless one of the two exceptions discussed below applies. <br />
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The first exception applies to official photographs of the President. The Hatch Act does not prohibit the continued display of official photographs of the President in the federal workplace, to include both public and employee work spaces. Official photographs include the traditional portrait photo of the President displayed in all federal buildings, as well as photographs of the President conducting official business (e.g., President meeting with heads of state). However, these official photographs must be displayed in a traditional size and manner and should not be altered in anyway (e.g., <b>the addition of halos or horns</b>). Pictures that are distributed by the President’s campaign or a partisan organization, such as the Democratic National Committee or Organizing for America, are not official, even if they depict the President performing an official act. Similarly, pictures downloaded from the internet or clipped from magazines or newspapers, <b>screens savers and life-size cutouts are not official photographs for purposes of this exception</b>.<br />
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The second exception, which applies to all candidate photographs, concerns employee personal photographs. An employee would not be prohibited from having a photograph of any candidate in his or her office, if all of the following apply: the photograph was on display in advance of the election season; the employee is in the photograph with the candidate; and the photograph is a personal one (i.e., the employee has a personal relationship with the candidate and the photograph is taken at some kind of personal event or function, for example, a wedding, and not at a campaign event or some other type of partisan political event). An employee must not have a political purpose for displaying the photograph, namely, promoting or opposing a political party or a candidate for partisan political office.<br />
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Questions?: Please contact the CDC Ethics Program Activity Office </blockquote>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-74137126077962196202012-01-02T23:05:00.001-05:002012-01-02T23:05:48.726-05:00Ok, Maybe I DO Get OverenthusiasticI wrote this essay in October and think it is worth sharing. <br />
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I would recommend that anytime you stop seeing someone in a romantic sense that you sit down with that person and have a chat about it. The things you can learn are quite useful, and it goes a long way to soothing hurt feelings. Some of you are aware that in the past couple of months, I have felt terribly wronged, misled, and otherwise lied to by someone. Names are not important (and please do NOT call out any names in comments). Suffice it to say that this person finally agreed to sit down with me one-on-one and talk. I think the talk went very well, and had I had talks like that with previous exes (although this person didn't last long enough to be an actual "ex"), I could have saved myself a lot of self-torment and heartache.<br />
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In this conversation, I was able to provide my perspective of what went on between us and to explain where my thought processes led me, even when the conclusions were in error. About a month ago, I had become pretty drunk and for the first time in my life, I was an ANGRY drunk. Never before had this happened, and I hope it never happens again. I don't remember what I said to him, but I do remember the overwhelming sense of rage. It's the kind of rage I've only felt a couple of times in my life, and never drunk. It's never been pretty. I'm fairly slow to anger, but when I do lose my temper, it can be volcanic, and I can say some of the most vicious things imaginable. That's why I try to always recognize when I'm getting angry and to deal with it immediately rather than let it fester or grow. It's a strategy that has worked pretty well for me. Apparently, Angry Drunk Jason unloaded on this guy for about an hour (via text no less). Then I switched to depressed, morose, self-pitying drunk Jason. Luckily, this guy deleted the whole ugly scene, as did I, before I passed out.<br />
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Anyway, what led up to that unloading of venom does not in any way excuse it. I made that clear when I started asking him to sit down and talk with me after that incident. I wasn't sure he'd actually do it, even after he said yes. After all, he'd stood me up before, but to his credit, he did show up. I spent a lot of time talking, explaining things about my background, and why I thought the things that I did. It wasn't a monologue, thankfully, and he provided feedback along the way.<br />
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What I learned is that I tried too hard, and made him feel like I was pushing him toward a certain "boyfriend status" ahead of the timeline he was comfortable with, so he just shut down and backed off, basically avoiding me like the plague. Why not just tell me I was being too intense to relax or back off? Good question. He says he didn't know what to say, so he said nothing. It's a bit of a cop out, but one that rings true to me. He knows that this course of action simply made things worse, and lead me to believe that he'd been telling me a pack of lies which infuriated me. Nothing will send me into orbit more quickly than giving my trust to someone and having them betray it.<br />
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I have trust issues with men. There's no way to get around that fact. I've had therapy to work on it, but it's a very slow process. My first experiences with having my brain soaked in "love chemicals" which produce the unique sensation of falling in love with someone with it's euphoria, the sense of fireworks exploding in the sky, etc etc did not go well. In fact, they have NEVER gone well. After a particularly heinous period in my early-to-mid-20s, I simply vowed that I would never allow anyone to hurt me like that again, to rob me of my sense of self-worth and feeling that I was loveable and worthy of being loved. The result was that I built a particularly strong and effective wall around my heart so that a person could get pretty darn close to me, but not close enough to do real damage. Flash forward a decade or so, and this strategy certainly kept me from having my heart broken again, but it left me completely alone with no prospects of that changing.<br />
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Over the last several years, I've learned that if I don't want to die alone (a thought which has haunted and frightened me since I came out of the closet in 1994), I have to be willing to take risks emotionally. I have to be willing to open my heart to being broken again if I expect someone else to do the same. The crappy thing about that idea is there are no guarantees that it'll work out. You expose your heart to pain, and you're likely to get hurt, even if you find love. The people we love can be the ones who hurt us the most sometimes. So I could either grow old and die alone, but heart not being risked again, or I could learn to tear down that wall I'd built and take a risk that could REALLY pay off or it could end up in heartache again. But if I didn't take "enter the game" there was no way I could win. Besides, *I* get sick of hearing myself complain about never having a man; I can only imagine what my friends think!<br />
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Anyway, why this guy ended up being the person to unleash the love hormones in my brain, I don't know. He's not the type I usually go for, and had he not expressed interest first, I probably would have never paid him a bit of attention. But he did express interest first, and I was intrigued and then really liked what I saw. Next thing I know, by the end of the first date, my brain was pumping out dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, oxytocin, and vasopressin (the "love chemicals" of the brain) in apparently large quantities. Spending the night together soon after only put production of these chemicals into overdrive. What can I say? I don't share my bed often, but when I do, it's very much a bonding experience for me. It's why I don't do overnights casually in the sexual context. Sharing a bed on group trips does not have the same effect ;-)<br />
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It had been over a decade since I'd experienced anything close to these emotions, and I have to admit it frightened me. Even though I'd been "in training" via therapy for such an event, when it arrived, the terror started to rise in me. Because I have never had a good experience when I have felt these emotions, my rational mind equates them with impending doom and heartbreak. I had to fight very hard against that fear when I spent time with him. I knew I had to force myself to remain emotionally open and completely honest, even though that felt like surrendering all the power. It was terrifying, but I managed to do it. What I found was that I became somewhat obsessed in making sure that I wasn't putting forth all this effort in vain; that I wasn't being "played" or used. I was so afraid that if this guy turned out to be a douchebag, that it would undo all the effort I'd put in to being willing to take a risk.<br />
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So I definitely became over-enthiastic. I couldn't help myself. The ironic thing is that he wasn't the only person I was spending time with, getting to know. But he was definitely in the lead just based on brain chemicals alone. I did seek too much reassurance, tried way too hard. It would have helped me come back to earth had he just pointed that out and been honest about how much it was driving him nuts. When I started to get information that indicated he was playing me, that's when he chose to start avoiding me, which led me to conclude that my information must be correct since actions speak louder than words.<br />
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There are other details that don't really matter, except for one. He admitted, and apologized, for lying to me about stupid things. The chief one being the night he simply stood me up when I was supposed to cook him dinner and then gave me some crap excuse about his phone dying being the reason he couldn't contact me until over 24 hours later. Had I had an ounce less of those damn brain chemicals flowing in my head, I would have never spoken to him again after that. It stands out as the single rudest thing that has EVER been done to me. He also lied about text messages not being delivered, all of which I knew. Not only did the lying anger me, the notion that he thought I was stupid enough to buy his pathetic excuses insulted me to boot. I was pleasantly surprised that he owned up to it, and that he apologized. I told him that empathy for other people is not a sign of weakness or a bad trait. The truth is always better than a lie, especially when your lie is so transparent.<br />
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Another thing about this guy is his charisma. I've seen him work that charisma on other people, and it's pretty amazing to see him switch it on and off so quickly. His level of charisma rivals the best politicians I've met in my life, and I've shaken hands with Bill Clinton! This guy can, and does, turn his charisma on and off at will. When he's turned it on in your direction, he's very hard to resist or with whom to remain angry. Some of what he told me was probably self-serving, especially his misunderstood bit. What he told me about his experience of my behavior, though, was very useful. I *do* get over-enthusiastic when there seems to be a mutual attraction. I blame it on the fact that I'm basically starved of romantic love, so when the opportunity looks like it will arise for me to experience it, I'm like a starving man at a buffet. I'm sure it scares people off, like it did this guy.<br />
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I'm not sure how to control that response. Do I warn future prospects that this is how I get, and to please tell me when I'm coming on too strong since that is not my intent? I'm not getting any younger. I need to find good answers, and a good man who will love me quirks and all. I'm still scared that such a man does not exist, and that if he does, it's certainly not in the metro Atlanta area. I don't know how to beat that fear down either.<br />
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Where's a mail order husband when you need one? <br />
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I'd like to leave you with this quote that explains perfectly why I have tried to tear down my inner wall and why I am so determined not to rebuild it: <br />
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"Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and living alone won't either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself you tasted as many as you could." Louise Erdrich, The Painted Drum, p247Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-14223604506513254052011-11-25T11:10:00.000-05:002011-11-27T21:26:12.730-05:00Fighting resegregation in Georgia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Today, I wrote the US Department of Justice to urge it to reject the proposed Georgia legislative maps for violating the spirit and intent of the Voting Rights Act. If you wish to write the Justice Department with your concerns about these maps aiming to create a super-majority white conservative control of the legislature, here's how you do it:<br />
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Write a letter to the Department of Justice. Where to send your letter:<br />
<div></div><div><br />
Mr. Chris Herren</div><div>Chief, Voting Section<br />
Civil Rights Division<br />
Room 7254 - NWB<br />
Department of Justice<br />
950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.<br />
Washington, DC 20530</div><div></div><div><br />
If you want to send your letter through an overnight express service such as Airborne, DHL, Federal Express or UPS, then your letter should be addressed to:</div><div></div><div><br />
Mr. Chris Herren</div><div>Chief, Voting Section<br />
Civil Rights Division<br />
Room 7254 - NWB<br />
Department of Justice<br />
1800 G St., N.W.<br />
Washington, DC 20006</div><div></div><div><br />
You may also email your letter to <a href="mailto:vot1973c@usdoj.gov" target="_blank">vot1973c@usdoj.gov</a> and please enter “Georgia Redistricting” in the subject field. </div><div></div><div><br />
If you would rather not send a letter or email, you may also call the Department of Justice at 1-800-253-3931 and ask to speak to the Georgia Redistricting team. You can also Fax 202-616-9514 and on your cover page, please reference “Georgia Redistricting”</<a></div><br />
My letter:<br />
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<div><em>Hello - </em><br />
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<em>My name is Jason Cecil, and I am a Georgia resident who lives at 1503 Oakridge Court, Decatur, GA 30033. I wish to comment on the proposed redistricting maps that Georgia Republicans have adopted.</em><br />
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<em>As a resident of DeKalb County, these maps endeavor to disenfranchise myself and my neighbors by placing us in oddly shaped districts that slice through multiple communities of interest and dismanteling multiracial coalitions that have bound our communities together in the last couple of decades. My proposed state House district looks like a candy cane that coils around my neighborhood and then shoots over to Stone Mountain before ending in south DeKalb. My area of DeKalb has little in the way of common community interest with the rest of this proposed district other than being located in DeKalb County.</em></div><div></div><div><br />
<em>The state House and state Senate maps show a clear disregard for communities of interest, and have the intention of eliminating ALL White Democrats from the state legislature. The Georgia Republican party is endeavoring to segregrate the parties to ensure that the GOP is seen as the "white" party and the Democratic party is "black only". These maps produce majority white districts to elect Republicans and majority black districts to elect Democrats. As a white Georgia Democrat, I feel my vote is being targeted because of my race. The proposed maps ensure that I am not able to participate in multiracial coalitions to elect representatives of my choice. Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act prohibits racial discrimination of any kind. The proposed maps appear to be systematic in their targeting of White Democrats which isolates African Americans and all other voters by limiting their ability to build coalitions.</em></div><div><br />
<em>What's even more offensive is that the Georgia Republican party has claimed the Voting Rights Act "made" them do it. There is no legal standing for Republican comments that they are allowed to have up to 73 percent Black Voting Age Population in a district. It is a manufactured number. The Voting Rights Act does not require a specific threshold, and the outcome cannot reduce the electoral power of minorities,including their ability to coalition with other groups. The artificial creation of Black districts at the expense of integrated districts violates the intent of the Voting Rights Act. These district maps manipulate the Voting Rights Act, maximize GOP voting performance at the expense of multi-racial coalitions. The proposed maps maps DISCRIMINATE against the ability of Georgians to build multi-racial coalitions which have been a proud feature of state and local politics for the last 46 years. </em></div><div></div><div><br />
<em>Other factors that lead me to oppose these maps:</em></div><ol><li><em>GOP-led reapportionment hearings were not held in places and times in which most Georgians could attend. The panels did not fully reflect the diversity of Georgia.</em></li><li><em>Discrimination based on past political expression has been frowned upon by members of the US Supreme Court.</em></li><li><em>The growing Hispanic and Latino population in Georgia is being isolated by eliminating the sole Latino Democratic Representative in the legislature. The message to this population is: Get on board with white conservatives if you want a voice in state government.</em></li><li><div><em>The maps target two of three LGBT members of the legislature by putting them in districts with fellow African American incumbents. These two legislators are the ONLY African American LGBT state legislators in the United States</em></div></li></ol><div><em>I ask that the Department of Justice reject these maps for violating the spirit and intent of the Voting Rights Act.</em></div><div></div><div><br />
<em>Respectfully,</em></div><div><br />
<em>Jason A. Cecil</em></div><div><em>Decatur, GA</em></div><div></div></div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-31674458283841448722011-08-23T23:19:00.000-04:002011-08-23T23:19:17.817-04:00What I Learned Tonight<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">In my last post, I mentioned my current challenge of sticking with something for the sake of physical fitness. Well, through the misery, the dry heaves, the asthma attack, the new bouts of hyperventilation, and learning to run... I have stuck with it. Rugby is kicking my ass, but in a good way. I found an iPhone app called "From couch to 5k" that I've started working with that alternates periods of running with walking. I find that running is doable in digestible chunks. I find that at practice, I can now jog halfway around the pitch without feeling I need to slow down.<br />
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Oddly, the thing I enjoy the most about the conditioning part of rugby practice is the stretching. It hurts, but in a good way. When I first started at the end of July, I could barely grab my ankle, but now I can get a couple of fingers on the toe of my sneakers. I've learned a lot about stretching which is useful to me, and I'm grateful to Gary for showing me what he knows. Even at the gym, the stretches we do, especially for the legs, are very useful.<br />
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I've received a lot of support from the team that I didn't anticipate. I still find it embarrassing to be cheered on as I straggle behind everyone else to finish a drill. I'd much rather have someone there with me, urging me on to the finish...then bring the cheer when I do :-) That's just my sense of embarrassment at needing to be prodded, but it's good for me. I do need to be prodded, encouraged to push just a little farther without going overboard. It's an odd balance, but several guys on the team seem to have a gift for it, at least where it comes to me.<br />
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The one asthma attack I had was due to the fact I had forgotten to take my inhaler prior to practice. Not a smart move. When I take the inhaler prior to practice, I'm fine. I've found in the last week or so that I have a different problem; in trying to take slow, deep breaths, I lose control of my breathing and start to hyperventilate. It still scares me when it happens, but I've learned I can beat it by intensely focusing on an object and really putting my mind to seizing control of my breathing once more. <br />
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Tonight was an especially interesting practice for me. We started out with the usual stuff: a job around the pitch, squats, stretches, high knee jog back and forth. But then we started with this exercise that Gary promised was going to prove once and for all that we definitely have thigh and butt muscles. He warned us we'd feel it tomorrow and curse his name. I'll admit, I kinda wished at that moment that I could just go home.<br />
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I didn't, though. The drill went like this: we start at the end of the field (blanking on the name of the line right now), do 20 squats, then we do deep lunges to the 25 yard line, pulling up the opposite arm of the leg that is at a 90 degree angle from the squat. At the 25 yard line, we sprint to the 50 yard line. Gary strongly suggested that we really high knee the sprint in order to pump blood into thighs that will be screaming by that time. At the 50 yard line, we do another 20 squats. Then the lunges again to the 75 yard line. Then high knee sprint to the 100 yard line. Turn around, rinse, and repeat all the way back down the pitch to where we started.<br />
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I kid about the rinse part, but what was no joke was how my legs felt. I've been practicing squats on my own at the gym, so the first 20 were OK. The lunges started to hurt halfway to the 25 yard line. But I did it. Most of the other guys were in a bit of a race, so I was WAY behind. Coach Zach came up beside me to show me proper form and to do the lunges with me so I'd get it. He stayed with me all the way down the pitch and back again, encouraging me to take it one piece at a time. The 2nd half of the pitch, I thought my thighs were going to give out. It's a weird sensation to feel the strength in your legs just give out like that, but I stuck with it, and they did not give out. They hated me, screamed bloody murder at me, but they kept working. I was not able to run, but I did high step it through the sprint portions. And in that last bit where I was lunging to the finish line, Coach Zach said, "In front of all these guys, you're going to finish this. You can do it." That's when I got a round of encouragement for me to finish that I found embarrassing, but I plugged ahead and I did finish. I didn't finish pretty, but I finished.<br />
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Honesty time. Before that experience with Coach Zach, he really frightened me. He reminded me of my 7th grade basketball coach who was gruff, liked to yell a lot, and thought nothing of ridiculing you. I have lived in a bit of fear that Coach Zach would turn his ire on me. Whenever he talked about the need to build stamina because without it, you are useless to the team, I figured he was talking about me directly. When he came up to me while I was lunging, I expected to be yelled at for doing it wrong. Instead, he simply showed me how and had me mimic him, and then stuck by me to make sure I kept up my form. He didn't yell at me or ridicule me for being slow. Him sticking with me made me not want to give up. Getting that kind of personal attention told me that he had some faith me, and I wanted to honor that faith and not let him down. If he guessed that's how to motivate me, he guessed correctly. <br />
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We moved on to defensive drills and tackling. This is where I learned something tonight that I had not known before: <b><u> I LIKE TO HIT!</u></b> And by hit, I mean tackle. It turns out that I have some raw ability to do it too, which is even better. In the last practice, we were told to imagine we were tackling behind the player, which fits into how I was once taught to punch. You don't punch for the face; you punch for BEHIND the person's head. That way you fool your brain into hitting with full force. If you aim for what you are hitting, your brain will subconsciously pull back in anticipation.<br />
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I was paired with some of the more aggressive members of the team, which did worry me. Coach Zach said we had to not approach a tackle with fear because that would end in injury. So I only focused on the legs and I went to tackle, and I held on for dear life once I grabbed hold until the guy came down. It was fun! I liked to hit and take people down.<br />
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I wasn't as good at being the person tackled. I did what I could to avoid the tackler, which Coach Zach says I need to stop doing. "Forwards go forward, not sideways." The point, I believe, is to plow through a guy trying to tackle you like he's nothing. That I need to work on. I think the notion of making myself a kind of big bowling ball when I have the ball and am being approached will be helpful in this endeavor. Coach Zach even said that I could be pretty good once I learn to plow straight ahead. Gotta admit, that was the highlight of my night.<br />
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We then started more real-game type of drills. I found this disorienting and I ended up making a lot of mistakes. I tackled a couple of guys way too high and ended up putting a kink in my neck. But that's why they tell us to go low, and put our shoulders into the belly of the guy we're tackling. It makes perfect sense. I need to get comfortable with the chaos of a real game situation though. Otherwise, I'm going to be worse than useless on the pitch in those situations playing defense. The game of rugby moves FAST, and I gotta learn to move with it. I'm not as worried about that because my brain can process something and with practice, I'll be fine. I just need to find whatever it is that will make it click with me when we're doing the whole post-A-B-C stuff.<br />
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I already know that I'm going to be in MAJOR pain tomorrow. I feel it a little already, but the feeling I had when I was able to successfully tackle tonight is something I want to capture again. It makes the pain I"m going to feel tomorrow worthwhile. It's amazing to know that there's something physical that I could be good at! That is one reason why I'm writing this tonight instead of tomorrow: the pain is going to make me curse rugby at least a little bit. But that's why God invented naproxen and cold compresses.<br />
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The challenge continues...</div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-20724753590708479602011-07-30T23:06:00.000-04:002011-07-30T23:06:11.180-04:00My Current Challenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">To say that I am not a fitness enthusiast would be quite the understatement. Other than cardiovascular and aesthetic benefits, I have never found myself obsessed with the gym, even with the endorphins released after working out. Thus, I have never been, nor will I ever be, a gym bunny. <br />
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This fact has made it entirely too easy for me to simply find excuses to skip the gym. It's too late. I'm too tired. I'm cranky. I don't feel good. I'm hungry. It's too early to be awake. I have other activities that take my time. I can't fit it in. Blah, blah, blah. The end result is that I'm grotesquely out of shape, my resting heart rate has gone up, and my waist size has expanded as my metabolism seems to be inexorably sliding to a complete stop. This has had health consequences from the development of a "fatty liver" which makes my enzymes screwy to an absolute warning that if I don't act, and SOON, I will become the latest citizen of Diabetes-Land.<br />
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I want to avoid diabetes at all costs. Diet isn't going to cut it. Even eating healthier, the slowing of my metabolism makes that route only so advantageous. Also, I enjoy a good meal. Always have, and probably always will. This means that I have to increase the number of calories I burn through physical activity. The gym is one aspect, but my history with consistent gym going is spotty. My lack of gym addiction makes it all to easy to push that down on the priority list. Even when I have friends to meet at the gym. It can be as simple as resentment of never going to the gym closest to my house. It invariably falls apart.<br />
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I'm equally not good at solitary sports which depend upon personal drive to have the discipline to succeed. I simply do not care enough about athletic achievements to make that workable for me. I've never been good at sports. I was never well coordinated. I was awkward. The one year I played basketball in 7th grade after being the first guy in my class to hit puberty was a disaster. I invariably screwed up in practice, got ridiculed by the coach, felt inferior and embarrassed, and the one time I did get on the court, I was fouled and couldn't even make free throws. <br />
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I need an organized activity where it's OK to not be talented. Where I won't have others pile onto my own sense of athletic inferiority. The one October I tried playing fall softball, I had the definite impression that I was annoying the more talented players. I could smell the judgment, although I will say they never vocalized it. I may have found a sport, and a team, that can fit my needs. It will not be easy, because I really am out of shape, but this is a mission, a challenge, that I cannot fail.<br />
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In July, I went to a Rugby 101 "clinic" held by the <a href="http://www.atlantabucksrugby.org/">Atlanta Bucks</a> rugby club. I suppose since rugby hasn't penetrated the United States school sports that it's expected people will come this not knowing a thing about rugby. That is certainly true of me. I thought of rugby because I've been told on more than one occasion that I have a build made for rugby. So I went.<br />
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Going to learn a sport in the midday heat of July during the hottest summer I have lived through in Atlanta wasn't the hottest choice. I overheated. I had had coffee about an hour before the clinic, so I chucked that one too. I had bags of ice applied to my head to bring down my body temperature. It worked, and no one gave me any judgement. The guys were super nice, and were quite adamant about not overdoing it. In the part of the clinic I did participate in, I actually had some dexterity at catching the rugby ball, which shocked me. I thought that perhaps I could do this. <br />
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But there's a level of athleticism required in rugby that will make this probably the largest physical challenge of my life. There's a lot of running, and endurance. I knew there was puking in my future. But I also knew that there was no way to make it through that without just doing it. My cardiovascular system needs to be strengthened for endurance and so that it doesn't so quickly escalate to maximum heart rate, and the attendant vomiting.<br />
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I went to the first Bucks conditioning practice last Thursday evening. On the plus side, it was held from 7:30 to 9pm, at the end of the day. It was still 90F outside but the sun wasn't nearly as intense. We started out running a lap around the field at Coan Middle School. I, of course, brought up the rear. Two laps was enough to send my pulse into the stratosphere and to bring on the nausea. <br />
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I had prepared better for this practice than the Rugby 101. I filled an old OJ 2 gallon jug with water and chilled it mostly so I could dump it on my head and try to regulate my body temp that way. I also ate nothing after lunch earlier that day, so my stomach was largely empty. But it wasn't enough to keep away the damn nausea.<br />
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I hate being nauseated more than anything. I can take things hurting. I can even take vomiting, even though it's very difficult for me to actually vomit. Nausea drives me nuts. It's enough to basically cripple you, but nothing that anyone can really recognize except you.<br />
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I had to stop and start a lot. It was really embarrassing, even though I'd warned the guy leading it that I was coming to him from a zero fitness level. The guys were quite encouraging. I didn't get the impression that I was making people roll their eyes at how lame my physical reactions were. Gary was really good about telling me not to overdo it, and to encourage me to do what I could. This was the first time doing a lot of these exercises, so I had the awkwardness of that combined with an overwhelming nausea that would start up again soon after I got going. <br />
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Even with the leg throws, my issue was getting my legs up to where they could be grabbed. Joe was kind enough to realize it would be better to hold my feet up, let my legs fall, and have me bring them back up. The last lap around the field at the end, I ended up walking it. But for me, walking it after I had vomited bile and felt like utter crap, was a victory. I really wanted to just say "screw it" but I couldn't. I knew I had to finish this workout for myself. Killie (that spelling may be off for the nickname) came back around the jogged with me, asking if I thought I could do a slow jog. I told him it was a victory for me to be even walking it, and he noted that my walking was keeping up with his light jog so it was all good. <br />
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The conditioning left me drained. I was basically a zombie afterward when I went out to eat. I'm sure my dinner companions found me less than charming. I also wondered if some of the guys thought that would be last they'd see of me. The next conditioning is scheduled for Tuesday night, and I will be there. I hope it will be better physically than it was Thursday. Gary gave me some pointers about what I could do at the gym to get my body used to sustained effort on a treadmill. There is a bit of fear about what happens when actual practices start. Gary made mention to all of us how the coaches would put us through hell. The conditioning kicked my ass... I can't imagine what the coaches have planned. <br />
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My mom did not greet the news of me vomiting well. Maybe I shouldn't have shared it on facebook, but oh well. I need to share because I need the encourage to fight through, to improve, and stick with it despite the physical misery I will experience early on. My mom both emailed and called me to express her concern. She has visions that I will end up one of those people who just drop dead in a practice because I will push or be pushed too hard.<br />
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I'm not concerned about the being pushed too hard with the Bucks. So far, they've really respected limits, and I have no reason to believe that won't continue. This is definitely something I need to do for me. It's going to be hard. I'm not whining; I'm simply facing the facts. I have to prepare myself mentally to face up to the regular embarrassment of not being able to do what other guys can do on the team. I usually haven't participated in things in which I am not naturally talented. From childhood through adulthood, I followed things that ran along with my passions from drama, to school honor societies, to politics. I have established myself as a credible contender for the activities I've participated in. <br />
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My parents never pushed me to play sports, and I certainly wasn't inclined to pursue activities where I had zero natural talent. But the stakes are too high for me now. It's important for me to pursue this despite the difficulties. Despite being pretty sure that I will see next to no playing time, and I certainly won't be a benefit on the pitch. Knowing this, I still need to pursue this rugby thing, push my physical fitness into healthier levels that will keep me away from diabetes and hopefully improve other aspects of my general health.<br />
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I need to face down something that has a lot of natural negatives for me and my ego, and to not give up. Maybe I will find a natural talent in some aspect of rugby. Maybe the game will click for me in a way that will allow me to make a REAL contribution. I have to do this for me. I feel that if I fail at this, the consequences for me personally will be bad. What's worse, I'm afraid I'd lose respect for myself. I'm a tough bastard in many ways, and I've faced down a lot of personal crap over my lifetime so far. But now I need to prove to myself that I'm more than just emotionally tough. I need to prove my mettle to myself. <br />
<br />
But I may go through a personal hell to do it. And I'll need the help and encouragement of friends, especially new friends I'm making on the Bucks team.</div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-28632904573270014522011-04-08T09:03:00.000-04:002011-04-08T09:03:01.358-04:00Federal Furlough Notices Released<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">In case you've never seen one, here is what went out to each individual staff member at CDC starting last night and through this morning. My notice was received at 7:06am. Thanks Teabaggers!<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Consolas;">I. - Important Furlough Related Notice</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Consolas;">As Secretary Sebelius communicated in her message to all employees, civilian and uniformed dated April 5, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services may be in a furlough status when the current Continuing Resolution expires this week. In the absence of either a fiscal year 2011 appropriation, or a continuing resolution for HHS, no further financial obligations may be incurred as of midnight on Friday, April 8, 2011 except for those related to the orderly suspension of the agency's operations or performance of funded or excepted activities, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Consolas;">You have not been identified as excepted from the furlough based on one of the following criteria defined by OMB:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(1) Employees involved in obligations 'authorized by law' or (2) Employees involved in the safety of human life or the protection of property. This means that if the Department is in a furlough status, you will be furloughed from your position, and will be in a nonpay, nonduty status.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Commissioned Corps officers will remain on active duty, but in a non-work, non-pay status)</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Consolas;">Please begin identifying the required actions you will need to complete in order to effect an orderly shutdown of your office operations should the official shutdown occur.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Consolas;">All employees will receive their regularly scheduled pay on Friday, April 15, 2011 for the pay period ending Saturday, April 9, 2011.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Consolas;">Because this furlough does not have a planned end date, Departmental leadership will make a reasonable effort to inform all employees when the furlough is over and when they are expected to return to work. Please also continue to monitor the news for the latest information regarding the furlough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you hear that a continuing resolution or a fiscal year 2011 appropriation for HHS has been approved, you will be expected to return to work on your next regular duty day.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Consolas;">For additional furlough guidance, please refer to the Question and Answer document and the Office of Personnel Management's website at </span><a href="http://www.opm.gov/furlough/furlough.asp"><span style="font-family: Consolas;">www.opm.gov/furlough/furlough.asp</span></a><span style="font-family: Consolas;"> and </span><a href="http://www.opm.gov/furlough2011"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Consolas;">www.opm.gov/furlough2011</span></a><span style="font-family: Consolas;">.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Consolas;">Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Consolas;">Director, CDC, and</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Consolas;">Administrator, ATSDR</span></div></div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-69570841846382085262011-02-13T22:43:00.000-05:002011-02-13T22:43:01.477-05:00A 10-year-old noteThe build-up to the 10th anniversary of my dad's suicide has been fairly quiet emotionally. I didn't even think about it much until the past week, although it has haunted me over the weekend. Yet, I didn't feel like rehashing the event in detail, as I have in the past. If you are interested, you can read about it <a href="http://blueheartofdixie.blogspot.com/2009/02/eight-years.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
My thoughts have been most focused on the notes my dad left. He left 10 of them. Randy Cecil was nothing if not a planner. He knew exactly what he was doing and planned everything, even burning a disk of music he wanted played at his funeral. Out of the 9 personalized notes, the envelope with my name on it read, "Jason, Mom, Dad, and Judy". I didn't get my own note, which has bugged me. As his only son, I thought I deserved a note of my own. Perhaps he couldn't face the prospect. He adored my grandparents, so perhaps it was just easier to lump me into a note for them and his sister, my Aunt Judy.<br />
<br />
Anyway, by the bedside table, Dad left the following note (<i>italics </i>indicate something written in my dad's handwriting):<br />
<br />
February 13, 2001 <u><i>5AM</i></u><br />
<u><i><br />
</i></u><br />
To Whom It May Concern:<br />
<br />
I took my own life without the knowledge or assistance of anyone. I used prescription drugs that I saved over time without my doctor's knowledge. Please notify Pam Cecil at 381-3332 (work) or 266-1591 (home) and Michelle Harr at 243-4882 (work), 312-4409 (mobile) or 223-4403 (home). Do not notify my parents or son as I prefer Pam or Michelle to do that.<br />
<br />
Please give my will to Michelle Harr as she is my executor.<br />
<br />
<i>Randal H. Cecil</i><br />
Randal H. Cecil<br />
<br />
<i>My physician is Dr. James Borders.</i><br />
<i>My therapist is Jacky Thomas.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
I was struck at how, even at the moment of his impending suicide, Dad wanted to be sure that no one got into trouble because of his actions. He explicitly clears his medical doctor and therapist of any professional blame. And that was the right thing for him to do. I worked with Jacky to try to save him, and he fooled her in the end just as he fooled me.<br />
<br />
Of course, the police had to open and read all of the suicide notes, even though mine was marked: "<i><u>ONLY FOR</u> Jason, Mom, Dad & Judy <u>Personal</u>"</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
This note read:<br />
<br />
February 13, 2001<br />
<br />
Dear Jason, Mom, Dad, and Judy,<br />
<br />
I'm so sorry to cause you this pain, but I could not erase my pain any other way. I love you all very much. Please do not blame yourselves as you did all you could do. Please also know that I tried very, very hard for a long time to get well and could not. The pain hurts just as much, if not more, now than it did at first. Please do not blame anyone else either. Please forgive me.<br />
<br />
It is my strong desire to be cremated and my ashes scattered here in Lexington at Raven Run Sanctuary. I do not want my body displayed! Just have my picture instead (the one I gave to Jason and Judy at Christmas). I would like a memorial service here in Lexington so that my friends can attend. I prefer not to have a minister or priest speak, just my friends and family. I created a CD of John Denver and Judy Collins music that I would like played at the memorial please.<br />
<br />
As for my guitar and recordings, Judy, please let Jason have first pick. Also, I want my John Denver vinyl records and videos to be sent to Linda Symons in Australia.<br />
<br />
Jason, please know that I am very proud of you and love you more than I can ever say. Please be strong, take care of your mother, and live a good life.<br />
<br />
I've got to go.<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
<i>Randal (Dad)</i><br />
Randal<br />
<br />
Dad had a really bad habit of signing cards and such to me with his name followed by "(Dad)" as if I needed the hint. LOL <br />
<br />
The note itself is kind of impersonal, but I think it was difficult for him to write. He didn't get all of his wishes in the 2nd paragraph. I felt that since he had committed suicide, there were somethings we were going to compromise for the sake of his survivors, and if he didn't like that....tough. I did have him cremated, and became a HUGE fan of cremation in the process. When I die, I hope to be cremated myself. But, I only scattered half of his ashes at Raven Run Sanctuary with my mom. The other half I had placed into a cremation burial box, and buried it in the family plot in Dickson. My grandparents, especially, needed a place to visit my dad's remains. Someplace they knew a part of him lay. And since they will be buried next to him, they will always be close together.<br />
<br />
The other compromise I enacted was having his body on display for family only before the visitation for friends and others. I know I wanted alone time with him, open casket, and I knew my family did too. I made sure we all had a few minutes alone with him to say whatever goodbyes we needed to say. It gave me a sense of peace, and I'm sure it helped everyone else too. For the general visitation, though, his casket was closed with a picture on top. His death was not gruesome at all. After he took his anti-anxiety meds on top of the screwdrivers he'd been drinking all night as he wrote the suicide notes (computer time stamps told the tale), he put on an allergy mask and then tied two trash bags around his neck, securing them with rubber bands. He suffocated within 30 minutes. I guess he just didn't want to be gawked at.<br />
<br />
It's no secret that my lack of having someone unrelated to me who loves me enough to want to spend his life with me, and I with him, drives my depression cycles and sometimes leads to outright despair. But one thing about being a suicide survivor is that you know what it means to be left behind. It also takes suicide away as a potential choice, no matter how badly I might feel someday. I've lived through the devastation that haunts us to this day. There's a hole in the hearts of many people in my dad's life that will never be filled because of the way he left us. I don't think he anticipated that, or that we'd still care 10 yrs later.<br />
<br />
But it is 10 years later, and I still do mourn for him. I think about him. I still miss him. But I do pray he's at peace.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-66592051006544705282011-01-10T21:06:00.000-05:002011-01-10T21:06:49.913-05:00Our Political DiscourseWhen I first heard the news that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) had been shot, I immediately figured it would turn out to be a teabagger exercising his/her "2nd Amendment Remedies". After all Giffords was one of those swing districts whose re-election was one of the last ones called. Her re-election campaign was ugly and full of fury on both sides. Sarah Palin had her as one of the "targets" to take out in 2010 since she had voted for Health Reform. I wasn't the only one who immediately jumped to that conclusion. Millions of other people did too, and like me, they tweeted about it.<br />
<br />
I was scolded for jumping to conclusions and not being helpful. The nature of twitter is its immediacy. It's very much like a rolling national, sometimes international, conversation. There's a reason that so many people, mostly unconnected to one another personally, immediately thought about the Tea Party Movement with its talk of 2nd Amendment "remedies", watering the tree of liberty with the blood of martyrs, and threats of a 2nd American Revolution, and specifically Sarah Palin with her tradement "Don't Retreat - RELOAD!" crap.<br />
<br />
That the right immediately went on the defensive indicates to me some evidence of a guilty conscience. They immediately starting saying things like:<br />
<ul><li>"How DARE you suggest that our rhetoric might play a role!" </li>
<li>"Dude was crazy, we had NOTHING to do with it! How DARE you!"</li>
<li>"Liberals said worse about Bush!" (who, unless I missed something, never had someone take a SHOT at him)</li>
<li>"Democrats use targets too!"</li>
<li>"Violent rhetoric is just part of politics, and always has been!"</li>
<li>"You're just crass and political trying to take advantage of a tragedy. How DARE you!"</li>
</ul>In all that hand-wringing and deflecting, never once did Palin, Beck, or her defenders say, "Wow, that is NOT what we meant by that rhetoric. Everyone knows that. Dude was crazy, but Jesus, if things we said helped in any encourage him, that's not what we're about. Using gun sights and talking about "reloading" and "2nd Amendment Rememdies" in the heat of a campaign was taking it too far. We wouldn't do it again, and we'll call out anyone who tries in the future."<br />
<br />
But no, instead there is complete denial and attempts to change the conversation. There's no acknowledgement that just because we CAN say something that we should. There's no willingness to even discuss that perhaps political leaders shouldn't engage in the ultra violent rhetoric of the base. All the examples of Bush bashing, and the calls for Bush's death came from no-name fringe people, most of whom were anti-war. You didn't have Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, John Edwards, Nancy Pelosi, or any Democratic leader of note going on the nightly news to spew out the same crap, or suggest that liberals needed to take up arms to seize back the country. We were always focused like a laser on the next election, convincing people to show up to the polls. Harry Reid did insult Bush, calling him a liar on the Senate floor which was as bad as it got. We did feel that the Bushies were dangerous to the freedoms we loved under our Constitution, but we protested peacefully, sued (often successfully) in court, and got our voters to the polls in 2006 and 2008. <br />
<br />
But conservatives have, since the Clinton presidency, presented liberals and Democrats as beyond the pale, trying to create a socialist dictatorship with FEMA concentration camps and death panels that will swoop in and kill healthy grandmas everywhere! Oh, and while we're at it, we're going to disarm the populace, and take a black marker to scratch out the 2nd amendment. Since Obama was elected, we've endured the unending charges of birthers that Obama is a Kenyan Muslim looking to exact vengeance on America for European colonialism in Africa?!? And we have just gone through a 2 year election cycle where House members feared for their lives, to the cheers to the GOP establishment. We saw my Representative, John Lewis, get spat upon while walking to cast his vote for health reform. And Giffords herself had her office windows broken after she voted Yes on health reform. We saw Sharon Angle saying that people might have to use "2nd Amendment Remedies" as if we were on the verge of a tyranny not seen since the election of Hilter in 1933. <br />
<br />
Politics is rough, and campaigns have become mini-wars. No longer do we think people are merely wrong in their policy preferences, but somehow EVIL and out to DESTROY the Constitution! I've been as guilty as any teabagger in that fallacy. I've assumed that people on the right are driven by pure greed and a disdain against people different than they are. I think that not only are they misguided but dangerously so. <br />
<br />
A lot of this feeling is driven by real sense of potential danger I feel as an openly gay man living in the South. I am accutely aware that the VAST majority of my fellow citizens in Georgia do not think I have many rights worth respecting. I don't have children, but I have many dear friends who do. I know there are people who would gladly use the police power of the state to remove those children from their homes because their parents happen to be gay. I know the Constitution of Georgia states that no relationship that I might enter into with another man will be recognized in any way, shape, or form. If I had a husband and someone tried to contest a will that left him as beneficiary, I have no confidence that my wishes would be followed unless the case was tried in DeKalb or Fulton Counties. For me, who is in charge makes a difference. It's the difference between attempts at writing discrimination into the US Constitution with a "marriage amendment" versus the repeal of DADT.<br />
<br />
I have learned that not all Republicans are enemies, but I find it much easier to intellectually engage with fiscal conservatives and have a debate about how much and what kind of governement is necessary than I do to engage with social conservatives who I believe would do not consider me an equal human being in any way, shape, or form. I fear social conservatives, and until they learn to accept that gays are part of society and must be treated equally, I always will.<br />
<br />
What frustrates me more than anything about Sarah Palin, her rhetoric, and the white washing of her record, and ludicrous denials of any responsibility whatsoever for dealing in over-the-top rhetoric...and all the conservatives who are screaming that Democrats are just as bad for even bringing up the rhetoric issue is the lack of personal responsibility. Keith Olbermann had the decency to personally apologize for overheated rhetoric he has used. Would it be too much to ask someone to acknowledge that he/she has engaged in overly violent rhetoric, and to agree that perhaps we need to tone it down? For too many on the right, the unfortunate answer seems to be YES, that IS asking too much.<br />
<br />
The assassin in Tucson was undeniably off his rocker. I think he knew right from wrong, which is thankfully the definition of legal insanity. I hope that he will be put to death for what he has done. But honestly, people, it was only a matter of time before some crackpot decided to take matters into his/her hands. Our divisions are too great and too deep to promise that only polite conversation be used in debate and campaigns. But responsible political leaders need to have a filter for what is appropriate! Just because we CAN say something does not mean we SHOULD. Isn't that a lesson we were supposed to learn in Kindergarten?<br />
<br />
Some suggest that making this argument is an attempt to chill political speech. That we should not only continue to engage in overheated, violent rhetoric, but revel in it. And when a tragedy happens like the attempted assassination of a member of Congressman, we should merely dab away the tears at the tragedy, lament the loss the loss of life, and then carry on. No reflection needed! After all, Freedom of Speech apparently means Freedom from Criticism. If we somehow suggest that we need to cool it with the war, revolution, and violence metaphors, then we are, by definition, enemies of freedom. I don't think asking for responsible maturity in our political discourse, especially from our acknowledged leaders, is anti-Freedom of Speech. <br />
<br />
I hope we don't give in to pressure from the right to drop the discussion about the tone of our politics. No one should suggest making a law to regulate speech, but there's nothing in violation of the Constitution from applying shame and peer pressure to urge people to use a little judgement when exercising the precious right to free speech. It may be the only way to continue to preserve our system.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-1869415575501136642010-12-13T17:17:00.000-05:002010-12-13T17:17:46.648-05:00Crackin' on CrackersIt would appear that my earlier use of the term "cracker 'Democrats'" in a story link on facebook featuring the new Georgia House Democratic Leader Stacy Abrams has ruffled a few feathers. I have always understood the word "cracker" to be uneducated, poor white trash. It has never been synomyous with "rural" as I've known plenty of crackers who live in a city. Being uneducated poor white trash doesn't have a geographical limitation to me. It's more about your attitude toward life. <br />
<br />
Anyway, my comment was meant to relay that if any more ignorant white elected Democrats (trash in my book) wanted to leave a party led by a smart, capable, African American woman like Stacy Abrams, they should just go now. Somehow, that's been translated by some to say, "F*ck you, rural Democrats! We don't want your kind no how." Which is certainly not true, and anyone who either knows me or has worked with me on political stuff over the years would know. There is a no more beseiged individual right now in the political landscape than a rural, white Democrat, especially if that Democrat is male.<br />
<br />
With the collapse of Democrats in Georgia, I do wonder if we can get the rural areas back again under the Democratic banner. Since the Republicans have pretty much successfully characterized us all as only made up of "cityfolk, liberal whites, homos, and colored people", I don't have a lot of hope that despite having their economic best interest at heart, that we'll get them back. The Pennsylvania and Virginia examples could be telling. Statewide elections in PA are won by taking the cities by large margins, and winning the suburbs. Rural PA is as red as blood, but Democrats can win the state with an urban/suburban coalition. That's how Obama won Virginia in 2008. And in Georgia, the key to the surburbs is women. I really think that rural GA has simply stopped listening to us for the most part. That doesn't mean we shouldn't keep talking to them, but acting like rebuilding the old urban/rural coalition for Democrats is realitistic is a sure way to keep on losing for decades to come.<br />
<br />
Our party switchers have all been rural Democrats, plus the Representative from ATHENS. A lot of these guys looked many of us in the face before the election, denouncing the very IDEA that they'd ever be anything but Democrats. That was, until Roy Barnes got beat, Democrats lost EVERY statewide office we held, and the national GOP gained 60+ seats in the US House. November 2 was a VERY bad night in Georgia, no two ways about it. And some of the switchers have specifically said that the Democratic party is too urban, too gay, too black, and too liberal for them now. What I suspect is tha they pooping their pants imagining what kind of districts will be drawn for them if they DON'T flip to the GOP.<br />
<br />
So yes, as I watched Democratic Leader Stacy Abrams discuss the party switchers over the last month or so, my thought was, "How could ANYONE not be proud to be part of a group led by such an intelligent, well spoken woman?" I do know that some folks are upset that the rural boys aren't in charge anymore, and there are some folks who still wear the Democratic label who nonetheless think that an intelligent, capable, African American woman who takes on the mantle of leadership is somehow the very definition of "uppity". That's definitely not the democratic party they knew, and they aren't really comfortable being a minority in their own caucus.<br />
<br />
On the emotional level, I get why they would want to leave. I remember when I first went to Africa, and I'd be the only white guy that I'd see for days at a time. It was jarring, but the confidence I had instilled in me from being a white guy in America allowed me to quickly get over it. I realized it didn't have anything to do with me, and I could just carry on. The Democrats who have bolted could have carried on to, knowing they'd be the first to be screwed in redistricting. But carrying on would have required a moral fiber and strength of character that none of the bolters possessed. To me, that makes them trash, and since they happened to all be white (at least the bolters in the legislature), white trash. And I wonder how much having a black female leader from Atlanta played in their thought process.<br />
<br />
So I commented that any crackers pretending to be Democrats who still wished to leave should just go. That was NOT a general invitation for all white rural Democrats to leave. The fact that I personally know Democrats from every state in the South, many of them in quite rural areas, not to mention states like Idaho, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Utah makes me very proud of my party. We do have lots to offer for the thinking person. We don't have an interest in taking away anyone's guns, even if I do think there is an argument to be made that urban gun control is a very different beast than rural gun control. I worry about the economic decay in our rural areas, the inequity of school funding, and a host of other issues that make a real difference in rural American life. It grieves me that so many just look at me as someone who wants to take away their freedom, confiscate their guns, force them to either have or watch gay sex, and God only knows what else! I sure as hell don't want to lose the people we have left in rural areas!<br />
<br />
After I was informed by a friend that unnamed people were angry that I'd called all white rural Democrats "crackers" (I did not...they read that into 'cracker', not me), I decided to look up the formal definition of the noun "cracker". <br />
<br />
In the Urban Dictionary, there were three definitions:<br />
<ol><li><div class="definition">Originally the white slave driver because he would "crack" the whip, hence the noun cracker.</div></li>
<li><div class="definition"><div class="definition">Noun. Slang word used to refer to those of European ancestry. The word is thought to have either derived from the sound of a whip being cracked by slave owners, or because crackers are generally white in color.</div></div></li>
<li><div class="definition"><div class="definition"><div class="definition"><span style="color: black;">opposite of </span><span style="color: black;">"N-word"</span><span style="color: black;">, an</span> insult to whites... except white people aren't dumb enough to walk around calling each other that word because it's intended to be demeaning.</div></div></div></li>
</ol><div class="definition"><div class="definition">Then I went to Dictionary.com, where I found the following:</div><div class="definition"><ol><li><div class="dndata"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">thin,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">crisp</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">biscuit.</span> </span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">firecracker.</span> </span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span></span><span class="varf"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">Also</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">called</span> </span><span class="secondary-bf"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">cracker</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">bonbon.</span> </span></span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">small</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">paper</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">roll</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">used</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">as</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">party</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">favor,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">that</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">usually</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">contains</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">candy,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">trinkets,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">etc.,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">that</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">pops</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">when</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">pulled</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">sharply</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">at</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">one</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">both</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">ends.</span> </span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span></span><span class="labset"><span id="hotword">( </span><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">initial</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">capital</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">letter</span> </span></span><img alt="" border="0" class="luna-Img" src="http://sp.dictionary.com/dictstatic/dictionary/graphics/luna/thinsp.png" /><span id="hotword">) </span></span><span class="labset"><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">Sometimes</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">Disparaging</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">Offensive</span> </span></span><span id="hotword">. </span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">native</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">inhabitant</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">Georgia</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">(used</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">as</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">nickname).</span> </span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span></span><span class="labset"><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">Slang:</span> </span></span><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">Disparaging</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">Offensive</span> </span></span><span id="hotword">. </span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">poor</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">white</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">person</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">living</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">some</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">rural</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">parts</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">southeastern</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">U.S.</span> </span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span></span><span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">tuft</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">knot</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">cotton,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">horsehair,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">hemp,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">etc.,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">at</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">tip</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">whip's</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">lash;</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">cracker;</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">popper.</span> </span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span></span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">braggart;</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">boaster.</span> </span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">person</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">thing</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">that</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">cracks.</span> </span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">chemical</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">reactor</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">used</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">for</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">cracking.</span> </span><span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">Compare</span> </span><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/catalytic+cracking" jquery1292275185125="81" onmousedown="" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">catalytic cracking</a><span id="hotword">, </span><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fractionator" jquery1292275185125="82" onmousedown="" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">fractionator</a><span id="hotword">. </span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">break</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">without</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">complete</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">separation</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">parts;</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">fissure.</span> </span></div></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">slight</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">opening,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">as</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">between</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">boards</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">floor</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">wall,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">between</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">door</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">its</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">doorpost.</span> </span></div></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">sudden,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">sharp</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">noise,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">as</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">something</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">breaking.</span> </span></div></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">snap</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">as</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">whip.</span> </span></div></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">resounding</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">blow:</span> </span><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><em><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">He</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">received</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">terrific</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">crack</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">on</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">head</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">when</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">branch</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">fell.</span> </em></span></span></div></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span class="ital-inline"><span></span></span><span class="labset"><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><em><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">Informal</span> </em></span></span><span id="hotword">. </span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">witty</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">cutting</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">remark;</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">wisecrack.</span> </span></div></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">break</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">change</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">flow</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">tone</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">voice.</span> </span></div></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span></span><span class="labset"><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><em><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">Informal</span> </em></span></span><span id="hotword">. </span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">opportunity;</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">chance;</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">try:</span> </span><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><em><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">Give</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">him</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">first</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">crack</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">at</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">new</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">job.</span> </em></span></span></div></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span class="ital-inline"><span></span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">flaw</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">defect.</span> </span></div></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span></span><span class="varf"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">Also</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">called</span> </span><span><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rock" jquery1292277779152="108" onmousedown="" style="font-weight: bold;">rock.</a></span> </span><span class="labset"><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><em><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">Slang</span> </em></span></span><span id="hotword">. </span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">pellet-size</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">pieces</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">highly</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">purified</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">cocaine,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">prepared</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">with</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">other</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">ingredients</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">for</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">smoking,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">known</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">to</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">be</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">especially</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">potent</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">addicting.</span> </span></div></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span></span><span class="labset"><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><em><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">Masonry</span> </em></span></span><span id="hotword">. </span></span><span><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/check" jquery1292277779152="109" onmousedown="" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">check</a><span class="x"><sup><span id="hotword"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">1</span> </span></span></sup></span><span><span class="dn"><span id="hotword">( </span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">def.</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">41</span> </span><span class="dn"><span id="hotword">) </span></span></span><span id="hotword">. </span></span></div></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span><span></span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">mental</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">defect</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">deficiency.</span> </span></div></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">shot,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">as</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">with</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">rifle:</span> </span><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><em><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">At</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">first</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">crack,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">deer</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">fell.</span> </em></span></span></div></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span class="ital-inline"><span></span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">moment;</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">instant:</span> </span><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><em><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">He</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">was</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">on</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">his</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">feet</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">again</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">crack.</span> </em></span></span></div></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span class="ital-inline"><span></span></span><span class="labset"><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><em><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">Slang</span> </em></span></span><span id="hotword">. </span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">burglary,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">esp.</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">an</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">instance</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">housebreaking.</span> </span></div></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span></span><span class="labset"><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><em><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">Chiefly</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">British</span> </em></span></span><span id="hotword">. </span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">person</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">thing</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">that</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">excels</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">some</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">respect.</span> </span></div></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span></span><span class="labset"><em><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">Slang:</span> </span></span><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">Vulgar</span> </span></span></em><span id="hotword">. </span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">vulva.</span> </span></div></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span></span><span class="labset"><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><em><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">Chiefly</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">Scot.</span> </em></span></span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">conversation;</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">chat.</span> </span></div></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span></span><span class="labset"><em><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">British</span> </span></span><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">Dialect</span> </span></span></em><span id="hotword">. </span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">boasting;</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">braggadocio.</span> </span></div></span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="dndata"><span><span><div class="dndata"><span></span><span class="labset"><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"><em><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">Archaic</span> </em></span></span><span id="hotword">. </span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">burglar.</span> </span></div></span></span></div></li>
</ol></div><div class="dndata"><span><span>So it appears that I was correct in thinking of a cracker as an ignorant (#21 Dictionary.com) white person. Being a southerner by birth, I did not associate it just with the South. Ignorant is ignorant, regardless of where it is found. And white trash can live in a holler or in a run-down urban tenement. Now before others think I'm calling names to people who might live in a holler or a run-down urban tenement, the key for me in someone being white trash, or a cracker, is ignorance. Willful ignorance that is not open to even hearing a different way of thinking. </span></span></div><div class="dndata"><br />
</div><div class="dndata"><span><span><strong><u>Take home point: </u>I was not calling all white rural Democrats crackers, nor was I wishing they'd leave the party. The ignorant, self-centered crackers who have bolted to the GOP in recent weeks were my target. I value, and desperately hope to keep what rural white Democrats we have left. I apologize for any impression I gave to the contrary regarding my rural brothers and sisters.</strong></span></span></div><div class="dndata"><br />
</div><div class="dndata"><span><span>That said, the folks who thought it was necessary to go to people around me to express your displeasure, you are cowards. Anyone who's seen my wall on Facebook can see that I'm not opposed to people calling me out or arguing with me out in the open. The passive aggressive folks who like to whisper to everyone EXCEPT the person they are upset with, who also hint that perhaps a formal complaint should be filed -- well, you are the poster child for why the Young Democrats of America has been forced to rebuild from the ground up. I respect people a lot more who are willing to say to ME, "What the HELL, man?" whenever I've said or done something to offend. That's when we can talk it out and sort everything out. But I know for some folks, creating behind-the-scenes drama is like breathing.</span></span></div></div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-78177545326113939552010-11-16T14:41:00.000-05:002010-11-16T14:41:42.610-05:00Why I Oppose Pledging "Allegiance" to the Georgia Flag<blockquote>“I pledge allegiance to the Georgia flag and to the principles for which it stands: Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation.”</blockquote>Certainly seems innocuous enough, right? Who could possibly disagree to the principle of Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation? Not to mention fidelty to the state which you serve? Well, there's plenty wrong with it when you look into the history of such a pledge.<br />
<br />
In 2009, Sens. Pearson, Rogers, Williams, Wiles, Mullis, and Seabaugh introduced SR 632 - A RESOLUTION affirming states' rights based on Jeffersonian principles; and for other purposes (http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/search/sr632.htm). Sens. Williams and Rogers are the key leaders controlling the Senate at this point, and this pledge is part of their radical "states rights" agenda.<br />
<br />
This resolution restated controversial propositions of the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Among other things, this established Jefferson's belief that states had some kind of extra constitutional veto over federal legislation or action a state believed usurped its authoirty under the shared sovereignty doctrine of the Constitution. What the resolution fails to mention is that 10 states specifically condemned KY and VA for passing those resolutions and the ideas contained within them. South Carolina explicitly relied upon these resolutions in 1832 when it tried to nullify the Tariffs of 1828 and 1832. President Jackson had to make preparations to invade South Carolina by force before a political compromise cooled the situation and South Carolina backed off. <br />
<br />
The Constitution makes the laws of the United States the supreme laws of the land. Anything a state does contradictory to federal law is null and void. States have no nullification rights, and it's attitudes like those of the GA GOP Senate caucus that led to the Civil War, which honestly answered the question forever. We are AMERICANS first, citizens of the United States of America. We are citizens of our state and locality second. How can you pledge loyalty to the United States of America while at the same time pledging the same loyalty to the state of Georgia without diminishing BOTH pledges? I argue that you cannot.<br />
<br />
Further, under our constitutional system, it is not up to the state legislature to interpret the US Constitution. We have courts for that, and the Supreme Court is more than willing to throw out federal laws that overreach federal authority. Implied threats of violence inherent in nullification and secesstion should not be tolerated. This is this spirit of nullification and threat of succession which is driving this "state pledge" idea. Even State Rep. Bobby Franklin (R) said that the pledge to GA was needed, “given the usurpations of Washington.” I understand that Franklin doesn't like the outcome of the elections of 2008 or any of the laws LEGALLY passed by the Congress now ending. But there are legal ways to attack such laws, and nullification/secession is NOT included. <br />
<br />
What this pledge does is try to drive a wedge between Georgians and the United States Government. It says, "Sure, I pledge allegiance to the United States...only so long as it doesn't piss Georgia off." We are ONE nation, under God, INDIVISIBLE...as the national pledge says. Taking a pledge to Georgia does seem harmless, but the ideas driving it are dangerous and sinister. As a result, I would hope that my state Senator, Jason Carter, wouldn't participate. However, much to my disappointment, <a href="http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2010/11/16/robert-brown-new-rules-by-gop-cabal-turn-senate-democrats-into-bystanders/">it appears that he will</a>.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-91894783783099011812010-10-28T10:36:00.000-04:002010-10-28T10:36:10.173-04:00Obama and "The Gays"I understand, and certainly share, the frustration that Obama hasn't used his majorities in Congress to make good on the promises he made in the 2008 campaign. The frustration over his Administration's legal maneuvers in DADT and DOMA are also understandable. As someone who's earned a law degree, I appreciate his strategy of defending laws he clearly does not agree with as a way to make sure the stake is permanently through the heart of those laws. <br />
<br />
The President's <a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/10/27/Obama_on_Marriage_Times_Are_Changing/">interview with The Advocate</a> was enlightening for me on a couple of fronts. When talking about disillusionment and disappointment in the LGBT community, Obama said:<br />
<blockquote>I guess my attitude is that we have been as vocal, as supportive of the LGBT community as any President in history. I’ve appointed more openly gay people to more positions in this government than any President in history. We have moved forward on a whole range of issues that were directly under my control, including, for example, hospital visitation. <br />
<br />
On “don’t ask, don’t tell,” I have been as systematic and methodical in trying to move that agenda forward as I could be given my legal constraints, given that Congress had explicitly passed a law designed to tie my hands on the issue. <br />
<br />
And so, I’ll be honest with you, I don’t think that the disillusionment is justified. </blockquote><blockquote>Now, I say that as somebody who appreciates that the LGBT community very legitimately feels these issues in very personal terms. So it’s not my place to counsel patience. One of my favorite pieces of literature is “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” and Dr. King had to battle people counseling patience and time. And he rightly said that time is neutral. And things don’t automatically get better unless people push to try to get things better.<br />
<br />
So I don’t begrudge the LGBT community pushing, but the flip side of it is that this notion somehow that this administration has been a source of disappointment to the LGBT community, as opposed to a stalwart ally of the LGBT community, I think is wrong.<br />
</blockquote>I guess the President is saying to us, "Look, I'm doing the best that I can. I know you want me to do more, faster, but I want to get this done right. I'm your FRIEND. Look at what I have done so far! Saying that I'm not that good of a friend is wrong, and kind of hurts my feelings." OK, I read the feelings part into the President's response, but I think it's true. <br />
<br />
What has President Obama's Administration actually accomplished for the LGBT community since taking office in January 2009? Here's a list:<br />
<ol><li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, expanding federal hate crime law to include crimes motivated by gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity.</span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Supported legislation to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”—which has passed the House and the Senate Armed Services Committee—including sending the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman to testify before the Senate in favor of repeal.</span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lifted the discriminatory ban on entry to the United States based on HIV status.</span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ordered the Department of Health and Human Services to guarantee medical decision making and visitation rights to LGBT couples.</span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Expanded the Family Medical Leave Act to ensure that LGBT parents and partners can take leave from work to care for their child, parent, or spouse just as any family member could.</span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Committed to ensuring the Housing and Urban Development Department’s core housing programs are open to all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, and clarified the department’s definition of “family” to include LGBT people.</span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Removed a common barrier to safe housing experienced by those in the LGBT community by including gender identity and expression in the Fair Housing Act. </span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Led a successful international effort to gain recognition of LGBT organizations at the United Nations.</span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Reversed an inexcusable U.S. position by signing the United Nations Declaration on Gay Rights, which condemns violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity worldwide.</span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Signed the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act.</span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Changed State Department policy so that transgender Americans can more easily obtain passports that reflect their true gender.</span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Banned job discrimination based on gender identity throughout the federal government.</span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Endorsed the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2009 to provide full partnership benefits to federal employees.</span></div></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Eliminated the discriminatory Census Bureau policy that kept LGBT relationships from being counted, encouraging couples who consider themselves married to file that way and urging transgender Americans to identify their true gender.</span></div></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hired and appointed a record number of qualified LGBT Americans, including several transgender appointees— the first president ever to do so.</span></div></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Billie Jean King and the late Harvey Milk.</span></div></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sent an administration official to the Senate to testify in favor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the first time any official of any administration has done so.</span></div></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hosted the first LBGT Pride Month Celebration in White House history, and after eight years of silence under the Bush administration resumed the tradition of issuing Presidential Pride proclamations.</span></div></span></div></li>
</ol><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A lot of people will say, "Yes, that's lovely, but it's only moving issues around the edges! We want DADT and DOMA repealed! We want ENDA passed! And we wanted it yesterday!" I think the 2008 campaign did create unrealistic expectations of what Obama would be able to accomplish upon entering office. Our Presidency is not a monarchy. The President, for the most part, cannot simply decree things, even with huge majorities in the House and Senate. What he has been able to decree, he has done so, in a methodical manner. It's real change, even if not everyone feels it. Obama is laying groundwork that will pay off for us as we continue to fight DADT and DOMA in Congress and the courts.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The sad fact remains that if the Teabaggers totally take over Congress, legislative movement on our rights will come to a halt. A GOP Congress will not even vote on ENDA or DADT. And you can forget about DOMA. We'll probably see a renewed push to amend the Constitution to ban same sex marriage again. Such a move will fail, but don't be surprised when they try. I think the House is lost to us, but the Senate is not. If we can keep the Senate, we can still get judges appointed who are open minded about LGBT rights, and we can stop the worst of the House-passed bills. And hopefully Obama will wield his veto pen to protect us.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So remember to vote if you haven't already. You really have no room to bitch if you don't participate.</span></div></span>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-41935334293146051772010-10-24T01:15:00.001-04:002010-10-25T11:35:08.505-04:00My 2010 Georgia Election GuideI'm starting to get more questions about who should be supported on the Georgia ballot in this election. It's no secret I'm a hard core Democrat, so my suggestions are not surprising. But I will note cases where other candidates are generally NOT freaks. I'm also the Treasurer of the Atlanta Stonewall Democrats, and we have a process for giving judges a smell test, so for Fulton and DeKalb County judicial races, I will share those recommendations. I also got a really good summary from my State Reprepresentative, Mary Margaret Oliver, who passed along a summary prepared by Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield. I'll share that and my recommendation for your vote.<br />
<br />
GOVERNOR: Roy Barnes <br />
<blockquote>If the Republicans are allowed to control redistricting in 2011, they will redistrict Democrats almost out of existance for the next decade. It will be a disaster, and only Roy Barnes with a veto pen can stop it. Also, Nathan Deal is a crook. The man is bankrupt and may not survive a term without being indicted for corruption. Not to mention he's the type of man who tried to make rape trial laws so lax that a woman would have to prove she "didn't ask for it" in a rape trial. If Georiga elects Deal governor, we will continue to decline as a state, and we'll be no better than Mississippi and Alabama in making fools of ourselves by the people we elect.</blockquote>LT. GOVERNOR: Carol Porter<br />
<blockquote>This is a good woman who believes we need to focus on issues like the economy and efficiency in state government rather than focus on social issues like abortion or gay adoption. She would make a vastly superior Lt. Gov to Casey Cagle who's main accomplishment has been to forget to lock his office door while fucking his mistress on his desk. He's also been very involved in aiding Nathan Deal in his corrupt deals with state government.</blockquote><blockquote></blockquote>SECRETARY OF STATE: Georgianna Sinkfield<br />
<blockquote>When it comes to the office that protects integrity of our elections, I believe that a GOP SOS means that we have a default position that the poor and non-white should have obstacles in place in order to vote. I'm bothered that Sinkfield doens't seem to be campaigning outside the black church circuit, but she's better than Kemp who made some kind of secret deal with Gov. Sonny Perdue to short circuit what was promising to be a lively GOP primary by appointing him to the office when Karen Handel resigned to run for governor.</blockquote>ATTORNEY GENERAL: Ken Hodges<br />
<blockquote>After a successful primary, Hodges inexplicably fired his whole staff and decided to have "friends" run his campaign. Sam Olens, the GOP nominee, is widely expected to win, and he's one of the reasonable Republicans. He led the Cobb Commission to repeal its anti-gay resolutions from the 1990s that basically said gay people are bad and weren't welcome in Cobb County. He also has worked with friends of mine in Cobb to pave the way for the Cobb Commission to adopt a non-discrimination in employment ordinance for LGBT workers. The Libertarian Don Smart is pretty good too. He won't win, but just imagine how much fun it would be to have an independent AG who dislikes both Dems and GOP :)</blockquote>STATE SCHOOL SUPERINDENDENT: Joe Martin<br />
<blockquote>This is the 2nd time around for Joe running for this office. He's got a deep background in education policy making, and God knows our schools need help, BADLY. The Libertarian candidate is interesting, and she's a school teacher. She doesn't give answers you'd expect from a Libertarian who is suspicious that state government should be involved in education at all, unless it's a voucher system. The GOP candidate is a right wing FREAK, and if he wins, we can expect Georgia to make headlines like Texas disclaiming science-based fact and instead teaching that the earth is 6000 years old.</blockquote>COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE: Mary Squires<br />
<blockquote>Squires is by far the superior candidate in this race, and she worked hard to clear the field so she could fundraise. However, we have not seen the fruits of that labor, and her campaign for this VERY important office has been invisible to me...and I'm heavily involved in Democratic politics! But she is smart, and she is tough...and she understands that this office is the only protection consumers have.</blockquote>COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE: J.B. Powell<br />
<blockquote>There was some SUPER shady stuff going down around this office and who would run for it. Ostensibly, former House Speaker Terry Coleman was being groomed the last 4 years to run for the office that has been held by Tommy Irvin since 1968. Coleman decided at the last minute to run for Labor Commissioner. Considering Coleman was PERSONALLY responsibile for the Amendment 1 vote being held in 2004, voting for him would have been virtually impossible for any self-respecting gay person in Georgia. Luckily, Coleman lost, which warmed my gay heart. Powell and the GOP nominee are both big into corporate farming, but the Libertarian Kevin Cherry is big into organic farming, and he's got some ideas that could be useful for rural GA. </blockquote>COMMISSIONER OF LABOR: Darryl Hicks<br />
<blockquote>This is largely an administrative post, but the idea that a party which is ACTIVELY hostile to the average worker should be in charge of the department that provides services to the average workers baffles me. And the libertarians would probably want to see the department abolished, so again, why elect someone like that? Darryl is a good guy, and would be a very good commissioner of labor.</blockquote>PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION: Keith Moffett<br />
<blockquote>The Commission has become a rubber stamp for whatever rate increase Georgia Power wants to impose. They are actively anti-consumer, so we need Keith's voice on the commission.</blockquote>UNITED STATES SENATOR: Michael Thurmond<br />
<blockquote>Unless there is a huge turnout with black voters, Thurmond doesn't stand a chance. The fact he hasn't raised any money or campaigned doesn't help either. But I cast this vote as a vote of support for President Obama.</blockquote>For State Reps, State Senators, and Congress, vote Democrat. In my own district, if John Lewis is not reelected, the world truly is coming to an end.<br />
<br />
JUDGES<br />
<br />
SUPREME COURT: Matt Wilson<br />
<blockquote>This is a man who believes in personal freedom, including freedom for LGBT Georgians. He is the only one who applied for the Stonewall endorsement, and his answers to our questions indicate he would be a friend on the Court. The incumbent was appointed as Sonny's stooge on the court. I would NOT trust Nahmias to be fair or friendly when it comes to issues of gay rights on the Court. </blockquote>APPEALS COURT - JOHNSON SEAT: Chris McFadden<br />
<blockquote>None of the other judges on the Court of Appeals is opposed, and this seat is open. McFadden literally wrote the book on appeal procedure in Georgia. He would make a fair and good judge.</blockquote>DEKALB COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT: Michael Rothenberg<br />
<blockquote>This seat cannot go wrong. I like the energy and bipartisanship with which Rothenberg has approached his campaign. In this race, my CHIEF concern is to have a judge who interprets "best interest of the child" to INCLUDE gay parents and 2nd parent adoption. Rothenberg will support gay families, as will Denise Warner and Courtney Johnson. Any of these three are good choices.</blockquote>FULTON COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT: Grier, Dallaire, Robertson<br />
<blockquote>There is a stealth GOP right winger running for this seat, so whatever you do, <strong><u>DO NOT VOTE FOR KELLY LEE</u></strong> for this office! She WILL NOT support gay families in Fulton County, whereas any of the three listed above will. </blockquote>PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS AND BALLOT QUESTIONS<br />
<br />
<br />
AMENDMENT 1: Allows contracts with non-compete clauses to be enforced in Georgia courts. <br />
BALLOT QUESTION: Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to make Georgia more economically competitive by authorizing legislation to uphold reasonable competitive agreements?<br />
<strong>VOTE NO</strong><br />
<br />
Summary: Currently, the Constitution prohibits the General Assembly from authorizing any contract or agreement that may or intends to have the effect of defeating or lessening competition. Non-compete clauses in contracts may limit where a former employee works, where he or she works and the type of work they can perform. Moreover, these restrictions can be for brief periods or for years.<br />
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If passed, the amended would give the General Assembly the power to grant to courts the ability to "blue-pencil" contracts with non-compete language. This means a judge could limit the duration, geographic area, and scope of prohibited activities provided in a contract or agreement with competition restrictions and thereby make such non-compete language reasonable. <br />
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Pro: For many companies, non-compete clauses are essential to guarantee that former employees with specialized knowledge are not able to simply leave the company and take that knowledge to the next highest bidder or to create their own companies using knowledge gained from trade secrets. Most states allow “blue penciling” by judges, which Georgia currently does not. <u><strong>This amendment is ANTI-WORKER including doctors,lawyers, etc. Companies will simply write overly broad contracts and dare the employee to go to the expense of suing in court.</strong></u><br />
<br />
Con: Judges will have the unilateral ability to change the terms of a contract, either in favor of or against a former employee. This could lead to irregular decisions, depending on where the judge and the employer are based. For example, a judge in DeKalb County could throw out a non-compete agreement where the employee cannot work in the metro-area and a judge in Fulton County could uphold an identical agreement.<br />
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AMENDMENT 2: Adds $10 tag fee on private passenger vehicles to fund statewide trauma care expansion. <br />
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BALLOT QUESTION: Shall the Constitution o f Georgia be amended so as to impose an annual $10.00 trauma charge on certain passenger motor vehicles in this state for the purpose of funding trauma care? <br />
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<strong>VOTE YES</strong>, although our lilly-livered legislature should have the balls to just raise taxes themselves to pay for things like this.<br />
<br />
Summary: This creates a $10.00 tag fee that can only be spent to fund trauma care and cannot be diverted to the general fund for other purposes. All motor vehicles designed to carry ten or fewer persons, including pickup trucks, motorcycles, sport utility vehicles, and passenger vans will pay the fee. The trauma charge would be collected together with license tag and registration fees. <br />
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Pro: This provides a new and necessary funding source for Georgia’s trauma care system that will be protected from other uses.<br />
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Con: The new funds may encourage the legislature to reduce its other funding streams; and large passenger vehicles, like buses, are exempt from the fee.<br />
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AMENDMENT 3: Allows the State to execute multiyear contracts for long-term transportation projects. <br />
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BALLOT QUESTION: Shall the Constitution o f Georgia be amended so as to allow the Georgia Department of Transportation to enter into multiyear construction agreements without requiring appropriations in the current fiscal year for the total amount of payments that would be due under the entire agreement so as to reduce long-term construction costs paid by the state? <br />
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<strong>VOTE YES - Why shouldn't the state be able to get reduced prices for multi-year contracts, with basic language that says its dependent on appropriated funds being available, just like the feds do.</strong><br />
<br />
Summary: Currently, a state agency cannot enter into contracts with private vendors if the contract requires payments beyond the funds available for that fiscal year. This means that unless an agency has funds in hand for a 5-year project, like a road project, it can only contract year-to-year. This amendment would allow the General Assembly by statute to let the Department of Transportation enter into construction agreements without obligating present funds for the full amount of the obligation. <br />
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Pro: Many contractors and states prefer multi-year contracts because they allow for bonuses for early completion, increase competition among bidders and allow for better transportation planning.<br />
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Con: This will allow DOT to agree to a project it may not be able pay for in the long-term.<br />
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AMENDMENT 4: Allows the State to execute multiyear contracts for projects to improve energy efficiency and conservation. <br />
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BALLOT QUESTION: Shall the Constitution o f Georgia be amended so as to provide for guaranteed cost savings for the state by authorizing a state entity to enter into multiyear contracts which obligate state funds for energy efficiency or conservation improvement projects?<br />
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<strong>VOTE YES - This will allow green energy retro-fitting, and the state can always include clasues about subject to funding for these projects, just like the federal govt does.</strong><br />
<br />
<br />
Summary: Currently, the constitution prohibits a state agency from entering into contracts with private vendors that obligate funds the agency does not already have committed. This amendment will authorize “energy performance contracts.” These contracts basically let a state agency use debt to finance energy efficiency and water improvement projects at state buildings, and the vendors who build the projects guarantee payments back to the agency based on realized savings (lower energy costs, less water used), which is achieved by the cost savings resulting from the improvements. <br />
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Pro: State agencies can upgrade to more energy and water efficient buildings by using a debt instrument that is underwritten by the very vendors who promise the savings. If it works, the agency has lower costs. If it doesn’t, the agency has guaranteed payments to make up the loss.<br />
<br />
Con: It creates a new debt instrument for state government.<br />
<br />
AMENDMENT 5: Allows owners of industrial-zoned property to choose to remove the industrial designation from their property. <br />
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BALLOT QUESTION: Shall the Constitution o f Georgia be amended so as to allow the owners of real property located in industrial areas to remove the property from the industrial area?<br />
<br />
<strong>VOTE YES - This affects only two parts of two South GA counties.</strong><br />
<br />
Summary: The proposal amends the provisions of the Constitution relating to industrial areas which exist in only two counties in the state: Chatham County and Jeff Davis County. Currently, the counties face restrictions on the ability of these areas to participate in the municipal services provided near their locations. This restriction is a hold-over from the 1983 constitutional revision. <br />
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Pro: Property owners who currently have the responsibility for certain services will be permitted to join a neighboring city and reduce its costs.<br />
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Con: Unknown.<br />
<br />
STATEWIDE REFERENDUM: Provides for inventory of businesses to be exempt from state property tax. <br />
<br />
BALLOT QUESTION: Shall the Act be approved which grants an exemption from state ad valorem taxation for inventory of a business?<br />
<br />
<strong>VOTE NO - Another giveaway for business. In these times, that should NOT be allowed.</strong><br />
Summary: This Act provides that all tangible personal property constituting the inventory of a business shall be exempt from state ad valorem taxation. If approved by a majority of the voters, the Act becomes effective on January 1, 2011, and applies to all tax years beginning on or after that date. Pro: Georgia is one of only 14 states that currently imposes an inventory tax. The amount raised by such a tax is minimal for the state, and nominal for most cities and counties. <br />
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Con: Certain cities and counties do rely on the inventory tax, which means a wholesale repeal could lead to a rise in the millage rate in those areas, particularly those school districtsJasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-7036169102141161672010-10-19T17:38:00.000-04:002010-10-19T17:38:25.037-04:00A Southern FuneralThere is a rhythm to Southern Funerals that I wonder is unique to this region of the country. First, there is the phone call telling you that someone has "passed". We always say "passed", not "died" when making these calls, although I have deliberately chosen to make the more blunt assessment. The person has not "passed" (passed what? Gas? A kidney stone?) or "passed away" (again, from what?), but the person has DIED. I am sensitive to many folks needs to be more gentle about discussing death, but as long as I'm not harsh or crude about it, I see no reason why I shouldn't state what is the case: a person has died.<br />
<br />
In the case of my Grandma Sookie*, we knew she was on the decline and was going to die of congestive heart failure since she had been placed in hospice.<br />
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*Pardon this interruption, but I must explain the "Grandma Sookie" part. Most people are like, "Grandma WHAT?!?" My grandmother was given the nickname "Snooks" by my great-grandpa, Andrew Jackson Felts, because she had naturally curly hair just like a cartoon character in the late 1920s called "Snooks". The nickname stuck, but everyone ended up calling her Snookie. With today's "Snooki" being that over-tanned tramp from Jersey Shore, the irony is pretty thick. I'm not sure my grandma knew about the 2010 "Snooki" or that she'd appreciate the name being associated with the TV girl. Anyway, as a child, I could not say "Snookie" as I learned to talk. It always came out "Sookie", so she became "Grandma Sookie" to me, and will always be "Grandma Sookie" aka "Bad Grandma".*<br />
<br />
So when Mom called me last Thursday, Oct 14 to tell me that the end was near, the doctors said she was in her final hours as her systems were shutting down, I was not surprised. She then called back 20 minutes later to tell me she had died. My only thought was to make sure that I was there for my mother through the coming ordeal of my grandma's funeral.<br />
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Mom beat me to Nashville, since she was coming from Lexington, KY and I was coming from Atlanta, GA. That first night, we went to eat Hibachi, and I bought my mom two strong Mai Tais to make sure she'd sleep soundly. The plan worked, and she was fast asleep within 30 minutes after we returned to the hotel. <br />
<br />
When I had received word from my mom that Grandma Sookie had died, I immediately called my paternal grandparents, who are now my ONLY grandparents. I had to leave a message but I figured they may be out. But the fact they had not called back by the time we were in the hotel getting ready for bed, made me think that they might have gone off on a trip. Usually, my grandma will call me before they run off somewhere in case "something happens". This time, they didn't. I called the cell phone number I had, and my grandpa answered it. After asking if everything was OK, I told him that Grandma Sookie had died. They were in north GA looking at the leaves, and had thought of going down to Atlanta to see me, not knowing that I was now in Nashville. Their farm is 40 minutes west of Nashville in Bon Aqua, TN, so I told them we had gotten a hotel closer to Joelton because of the back-and-forth. They understood but said we're more than welcome to come back and spend the night at the farm on Saturday. I'd already "spent" the Marriott points, so I declined.<br />
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We slept in on Friday, getting up about 10:30am. My cousin, Mary Frances, who just goes by Frances, had been my grandmother's primary careperson the last year or so of her life. She had the power of attorney, which was fine because neither I nor my mom could have done the things that needed to be done prior to death. Frances told us that the funeral home had an appointment available for noon or 2pm. We picked noon, had some Waffle House for breakfast, and headed out to Joelton, TN... ground zero for my mother's side of the family.<br />
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We met at Anderson & Garrett funeral home, where EVERY member of my mother's family has had his/her funeral since my great-grandpa died in 1955 of a heart attack. It's located across the street from Joelton Middle School (which was Joelton High School back in the 1930s and 1940s when my grandmother's generation attended there) at the crossroads of two major roads. It looks kind of like Twelve Oaks from Gone With the Wind.<br />
<br />
Turns out that Frances had done some prep work before we arrived. My grandmother had thankfully purchased two burial policies that would just cover the expenses of burying her. We picked out a simple white coffin and a no-frills vault. The funeral director threw in engraving her name, years of birth and death, and an icon of our choosing. My grandmother was all about music, so I picked out some musical notes for the icon. The engravings were done with laser, and turned out quite nice. I approved the jewelry that Frances had picked out, removing only one piece on the grounds of being tacky. The jewelry was, of course, fake.<br />
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Frances said she had a million things to do before the funeral on Saturday (the next day) include making phone calls. She was insistent that we have a full 4 hour visitation per my grandmother's wishes. My grandmother had made a folder that included sheet music to the old-time gospel songs she wanted sung. To this list, Frances wanted "Great is Thy Faithfulness" to be the final tune as it was personally meaningful to her. It was at this time, she said that the Lord had put something on her heart that she had to say at the funeral. My mother and I wondered what the hell it could be, but after all Frances had done for my grandmother (including putting up with a heaping helping of verbal abuse), we were inclined to let her do whatever she wanted. I did make it clear that Mom and I wouldn't be there for the whole visitation. 4 hours was just not doable for either of us, and honestly, we expected that no one would show up until later anyway. I announced our intention to arrive by 12:30pm, when the service would start at 1:30pm. An hour is what we had when my father committed suicide in 2001, and that was plenty. You have no idea how emotionally draining these "visitations" can be. I know I had forgotten until this weekend.<br />
<br />
After we left the funeral home, we stopped by a florist down the road. The florist was dealing with another customer, so we had time to look around this old converted house sitting by itself, surrounded by plowed fields near the interstate. I had hoped we could see a catalogue of "sprays" which lay on top of the coffin and just pick one at a reasonable price. The florist was NOT helpful in this regard. She said you could do a nice spray from $100-800. I certainly didn't want to just say "gimme a $100 spray". After all, this was to represent both me and my mother at the funeral. There were certain expectations to be met. We couldn't just buy a bundle of weeds or brush and call it a day. I told her we were looking to spend about $150-200 max. Of course, I meant $200 inclusive of tax, but the florist immediately jumped on spending $200 BEFORE tax. After she said with tax, I could get a nice spray of flowers for $218, I didn't feel like I could just say, "No, I meant $200 WITH tax!" She was talking about color palettes and different available flowers for that price. We ultimately went with "pastels", but I had no idea what it would look like. My catalogue idea was a non-starter. I should have just gone online to pick something out. My mother told me as we left that I really shouldn't have spent so much, but I told her that we had to keep up a certain standard, and I'd just deal with the cost. The spray turned out to be really nice, and even had some beautiful purple Calla lilies in it. Frances gushed over the spray, so I figure I did my job getting something respectable for the casket, especially since we weren't doing the Wheel.<br />
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What is the Wheel, you ask? It is a tradition that has largely died out, as Frances learned that very few florists even knew how to do one, and fewer still were willing to execute. My grandmother was the 8th of 12 children. When "Pap" (my great-grandpa) died in 1955, the family started a tradition where every time someone died in the immediately family, the brothers/sisters would buy a wheel for the funeral. At the center would be flowers representing the great-grandparents. Each child would be a "spoke" in the wheel, with 1 o'clock being represented by the 1st born, 2 o'clock, the 2nd born, etc. all the way to 12 o'clock representing my Uncle Jerry Felts, the youngest child. Each living child would pay for his/her "spoke" which would go all the way to the middle. Any dead child would be represented by a "broken spoke" that would go halfway. The deceased child would have a half-spoke and a dove on it. I guess the dove was in the middle when the parents died. Anyway, since 1955, this wheel has represented "The Family" at each funeral of a brother or sister. Aunt Janie, the 11th child, was responsible for the Wheel since the 1990s at least. Before she died, she made Frances promise her that if she were dead, and Frances living, that EVERY sibling would have a Wheel. This was the first death since Aunt Janie died in 2007. Frances did a great job. The half-spokes had to be dropped because only one child is still alive, Aunt Mary Ella. The wheel couldn't withstand so many broken spokes, so instead of flowers, the spokes were covered with "green leaves" and a single carnation (blue for boys, pink for girls) represented all the deceased siblings. The deceased family member's immediate family is not expected to pay for a spoke. The relatives of previously deceased siblings are expected to donate, however. When Aunt Janie died, her Wheel was elaborate and covered in white roses. It also cost $800. I think Frances was able to keep the cost of my grandmother's wheel around $300. If I told you that Aunt Janie was simply adored by EVERYONE in the family while my grandmother simply was not, the desire to "go cheap" is understandable. If it hadn't been for the promise to Aunt Janie, the Wheel probably would not have been there at all.<br />
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After arranging for the funeral spray, my mother took me to visit another cousin, who lives next door to Frances, named Billie Sue. Billie Sue is the oldest daughter of my great Aunt Sis, who was the spitting image of my mother. If you saw a picture of Aunt Sis, you'd swear that SHE was my grandmother because of the ressemblance between her and my mom. Billie Sue has a daughter who was born 5 years to the day after my mom. My mom was never able to get that close to her cousins because my grandmother kept her away from them. Anyway, she has been able to reconnect with the family in recent years, as she has pulled away from my grandmother's influence and realized just how isolated she had kept her from the rest of the family, who had VERY fond memories of her as a child. We sat in Billie Sue's house with her husband (whose name escapes me) and chatted. It was mostly about family gossip, talking about the funeral, and what we knew of Grandma Sookie's last moments. (She simply stopped breathing. It was very peaceful according to Frances, who was there.)<br />
<br />
Mom had mentioned wanting to see a movie later, so I used my iPhone to find out the closest theatre to Rivergate showing Secretariat, which we both wanted to see but had not seen yet. That gave me and excuse to shoo us out to get back to where we were staying by 4:30pm. We said our goodbyes, and I realized just how exhausted the afternoon of funeral planning and visiting had been. Luckily, the movie revived my spirits so that we could enjoy a nice dinner before returning to the hotel for an early evening.<br />
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Grandma Ann and Papa (my living grandparents) told us they'd come back to Bon Aqua on Friday, and wanted to see us for the funeral. We arranged for them to come have breakfast with us before the funeral. It was really nice to see them, and having them there provided both my mom and myself a great deal of comfort. They were a stablizing force, and it was good to have them there.<br />
<br />
After stuffing ourselves at the Shoney's breakfast buffet, we went to the funeral home. We arrived much earlier than we intended (just before noon), but with my grandparents there, it was OK. There were more people there than I expected. We had several cousins and their children sitting around. We came in, and paid our respects at the coffin. My grandmother had a picture 8x10 of her last dog Princess by her along with a smaller photo that was taken of her, me, and my mother that she always carried in her wallet from when I was a child. <br />
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Southern funerals are always open coffin if you can help it. There's something about seeing the deceased in the coffin, embalmed, where you are certain they are dead. My grandpa likes to say he wants to be embalmed because he'll damn sure be dead! There's a fear of being buried alive that having an open coffin eases. I also find that people want to touch the body. The feeling of cool, plasticy skin reassures you that the person is truly dead. It gives a finality to the death and a certain amount of closure. When my father committed suicide, he did not want an open coffin, but I arranged for family to have alone time with the coffin open before visitation to say goodbye. I know it was important to me to have those moments with my dad, along with the rest of the family. <br />
<br />
Frances was standing by the open casket by the Wheel of flowers. She apologized to us that the Wheel was kind of crooked (spokes were not in exactly proper position), and that she'd forgotten to call the church where my grandmother was to be buried, which meant the church ladies had not had time to fix food for us. She talked about how my grandmother would not be pleased, but we reassured her as best as we could. My grandmother had not been a member of New Hope Free Will Baptist church in DECADES, and the food was not a big deal. It wasn't likely we'd want to stick around post-graveside service anyway.<br />
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As the closest surviving kin, my mom was the "other" star of the show that is visitation. Most people left me alone, which was fine. I found it most pecular that older relatives would approach me by saying, "I bet you don't know who I am!" Several did that with my mom too, and my only thought was, "No, I don't know you. You know I don't know you. Why are we pointing this out?" After a semi-awkward silence, the relative would follow-up with "The last time I saw you, you were this big!", holding up a hand about waist high. At this point, I would semi-laugh, and they'd let me know how we were related. There were a handful of cousins that I knew, and I got to visit with my Aunt Cricket who is Uncle Jerry's widow, and seems to NEVER age. She was wearing a lovely pair of black slacks, a sweater, and a matching scarf. If I could have given a DFI (Democratic Fashion Institute (c)) award, I would have presented it to Aunt Cricket.<br />
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The man my grandmother adored, Kyle Lehning, was not able to come, but he did send flowers. In a twist that my grandmother would have appreciated, Kyle could not come to the funeral because he had a previously scheduled recording session with Randy Travis, who my grandmother had worked with as a bookkeeper when he was starting out.<br />
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Another thing about Southern funerals is not only noting who shows up, but noting who doesn't...and why. Most people were either out of town (like my cousin Gary) or had to be at work that Saturday. No one blamed anyone who needed to work for not being there. The people who where there largely showed up out of respect and love for my mother...or out of respect for the dead brother or sister they were directly descended from. Only two sets of people were there out of grief for my grandmother, and they were about to make themselves known.<br />
<br />
The first lady who approached me had the EXACT same hairdo as my dead grandmother, except hers was blond, while my grandma always dyed her hair red, claiming it was her "natural color". For what it's worth, her natural hair color is the same as mine...dark brown with deep red undertones. Natural redheads, we are not. I don't remember this lady's name, but I do remember that my grandmother had rented from her that last time I had anything to do with her. This was post-divorce, but pre-suicide, so sometime between 1998 and 2001. My mom and I visited my grandmother with the intention of staying the night for Thanksgiving. Well, some kind of big blow-up happened, and mom and I left. That was the last time I really interacted with my grandmother much. I don't believe she came up to Lexington when my dad committed suicide in 2001. This lady even had to evict my grandmother for non-payment of rent... a common theme in my grandmother's life.<br />
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However, this lady and her husband managed to maintain some kind of friendship with my grandmother despite the eviction. Lord only knows what my grandmother told her, but she told me, "Your grandmother loved you and your mother so much. I don't think your mother really knew that, but she did. She really had you and your mother on a pedestal. I used to listen to her cry on the phone about the estrangement, but I really wanted you to know how proud she was of BOTH of you and how much really did love you both."<br />
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All I could do is nod my head sympathetically and repeat "Thank you" over and over with each declaration. That my grandmother thought I was the bee's knees is no secret. She always bragged about me and my academic achievements, which she thought was direct proof that I was her grandson. My smarts were from me and my dad, you see. That she held my mother in any kind of esteem was news to me. That a pedestal was involved was downright shocking. I held my tongue from spitting out, "SINCE WHEN?" or "She sure had a funny way of showing it." Again, there's a ritual to Southern funerals, and I was certainly not going to cause a scene unless provoked.<br />
<br />
The other "group" there for my grandmother was a family led some lady who reeked of smoke, had a cane, and wore an ill fitting polyester black suit. I noticed she had cornered my mother at some point, so I made a beeline to step in and rescue her. My mom immediately grabbed my hand behind her back and SQUEEZED as tight as she could. I got the message, but I could not rescue her from the monologue that ensued.<br />
<br />
The lady informed us that she had adopted my grandmother and had her over for birthdays and holidays. When my mom said she'd heard a lot about them, the older daughter piped up, "Oh, I hope it wasn't too bad!" which indicated to me that they were quite familiar with my grandmother's acid tongue. But they said she loved the children, and they enjoyed her company. There was a slight indication of "we had her over because you wouldn't have anything to do with her", but it wasn't overt enough to react. They talked about how much my grandmother liked to eat, especially when the meal was free. The somewhat toothless husband of the matriarch (also with a cane) said that he'd promised my grandmother to go dancing when she got better. I suppose that was supposed to be a heart warming story, but it left me cold. This family also mentioned how my grandmother had my mom on a "pedestal" of some kind. She also said how my grandmother had bragged about my mom's "degrees". She said, "Oh, no, that was my son. He's got two graduate degrees." The lady looked confused and asked if my mom did not have a teaching degree, because my grandmother had mentioned several times that my mom had a teaching degree. Umm, no, my mom worked in schools as a secretary, not a teacher. Awkward silence ensued. Finally, I got my mother away after the story telling had died down. <br />
<br />
At 1:30pm, the music my grandmother had selected was played. The one cousin who can sing was not able to perform due to lack of preparation, which Frances beat herself up for not providing. Mom and I just wanted to tell Frances to relax, but we provided assurances that everything was fine. And it WAS fine!<br />
<br />
After my grandmother's selections were played, it was Frances' turn to speak. She picked up a notebook and read out her eulogy of my grandmother. WHAT a eulogy it was! Mom and I had no idea where she going with it, only that Frances said the Lord had put something on her heart to say. It was quite the soap opera moment, wondering what would be said about a woman who had been pretty nasty to just about everyone in the room.<br />
<br />
Frances framed it around my grandmother's life story. Recouting how she was born in Davidson County just outside Nashville, where my great-grandparents lived until 1930 when they bought the family farm in Joelton, TN. She mentioned my grandmother's scholastic abilities, of which she was quite proud, and justifiably so, according to Frances. She mentioned my grandmother's marriage to my grandfather, and then she got to the meat of the story.<br />
<br />
She started talking about my grandmother's difficult personality. The "sharp tongue" that she used on just about everyone. She was respectful, but honest. The crowd chuckled when Frances said, "Aunt Snookie wanted things how she wanted them, when she wanted them, and no other way. If you tried to do something different, she'd let you know." She talked about how my grandmother was often difficult to love because of her sharp tongue, and sprinkled in a couple of bible verses about forebearance. She said that even my grandmother couldn't drive anymore, she wanted you to cart her around on HER schedule according to HER wants at the moment....and she'd "let you know" if you didn't. In other words, people helping her out of kindness were treated like servants or staff.<br />
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At this point, I was wondering how honest Frances would be, and I was wondering if the people here who only knew my grandmother and weren't family would interrupt to defend her. This was before Frances started talking about the state of my grandmother's soul.<br />
<br />
Frances talked about the bittnerness in my grandmother's heart toward her family that was evident in everything she said or did. She talked about how worried she was about my grandmother's soul as she got sick. She had very frank discussions with my grandmother about whether or not she was right with Jesus and whether she was sure she would go to heaven when she died. She pushed my grandmother on the need to reconcile with my mother and make amends for all the things she'd said and done to her over the years...for the sake of her soul going to heaven rather than being confined to the fires of hell. She expressed the worry she had for my grandmother's salvation.<br />
<br />
About three weeks before her death, my mother did visit my grandmother in the hospice. They did have a reconciliation of sorts, which was somewhat married by the poison pen letter that Frances found and gave to my mother. However, my mom had made her peace with my grandmother, and vice versa. Frances swore she was a changed woman after that, not expressing any of the bitterness or venom she had prior to my mother's final visit. She wove in quite a few Bible verses about how to treat one another, and on the theme of salvation in Jesus. I almost expect an invitation to the crowd to accept Jesus as personal savior, but the sermonizing was perfectly in tune with the eulogy. Frances gave a textbook example of how to properly eulogize someone who was very difficult to love in real life, being honest about their faults, but presenting a message of hope and salvation at the end. It was amazing in its honesty without being rude or disrespectful to the dead.<br />
<br />
I think her eulogy was 5-6 pages handwritten, front and back. When it was done, the song "It's Well with My Soul" came on, and Frances collapsed in tears. The song went perfectly with her eulogy, and it all made sense. I believe that God did put something on her soul that she was compelled to say, and the message was perfect. I wish I had been able to get a transcript of her eulogy.<br />
<br />
Mom and I were immediately following the coffin as it was ushered out of the funeral home and into the waiting hearse. As the immediate kin, we had the car right behind the hearse as we made our way to New Hope Free Will Baptist Church.<br />
<br />
Another nice gesture that is made in Southern funerals, especially those held in the countryside, is the tradition of traffic pulling over the side of the road until the funeral procession has passed. In the city, you don't really see that, and it's not very practical. But in Joelton, TN, every car we passed was pulled over to the side of the road until we passed. It's a quiet marker of respect for the deceased and the family, and I loved seeing it. It really gives you a sense of being in a community where death means something.<br />
<br />
We arrived at the church, and the weather was gorgeous. It was sunny, slightly windy, not a cloud in the sky. The church had expanded A LOT since the last time I was there for my grandfather's funeral in 1996. The funeral director showed me and my mom the top of the vault where the engraved name and dates of birth/death where located on smooth marble. The music notes looked better in person than they had in the book, and everyone was very pleased at how nice it was. <br />
<br />
Mom and I took our seats in the front row, joined by the lady who had "adopted" my grandmother. The retired deacon of the church (who had buried my grandfather all those years ago) gave the graveside prayer. The only sad part was when he talked about "my favorite verse of scripture and yours too..." followed by silence. Silence that lasted nearly a minute as he forgot and tried to remember this verse of scripture that was his favorite: John 3:16. <br />
<br />
But he did remember, and the vault was sealed and lowered into the ground. My mom tried to get away because she did NOT want to see the dirt being poured on the grave. It's a thing with her. She finds the dirt falling on the coffin to be suffocating, creepy, etc. But the old landlady grabbed her for a few words and she simply had to avert her eyes, despite telling the lady she couldn't stand to see the dirt cover the vault with the coffin. <br />
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This woman repeated the story my grandmother had told about my mom having some kind of teaching degree. She also said that my mother needed to dye her hair red in honor of my grandmother. Yeah, I had a WTF moment there myself. Then the "adopted" family came up and was sharing with my mother yet again too. Poor woman could not escape!<br />
<br />
I figured the only thing to do was to find my grandfather's grave. Turned out he was about 15 feet away from my grandmother's resting place. Considering how much they DESPISED each other, the irony of their burial placement was pretty rich. Finally, they friends of my grandmother let her go, and another random person came up, saying, "I bet you don't know who I am."<br />
<br />
That person turned out to be a Milliken cousin! This lady was the daughter of my grandfather's older brother! I don't think I'd ever met any of the Milliken cousins, who are also buried all around the New Hope Free Will Baptist cemetery along with the Feltses. Anyway, after some visiting, mom was able to visit her dad's grave for a few minutes. <br />
<br />
Frances had a few items of business to discuss with my mom about the estate (such as it is). Mostly about going through my grandmother's things, and how she'd been the victim of some kind of scam before she was hospitalized in July. It was very dramatic, but if my grandma's chotchkies were stolen, so be it. They were pretty much worthless anyway. Frances had my mom take the dove from the wheel that was now laying on the filled grave. Mom took a couple of flowers from our spray, which was also lying on the grave. A couple of cousins who lingered stayed to give their condolences one more time and exact promises that my mom would visit and not be a stranger.<br />
<br />
Finally, we got in my grandparents' new SUV and came back to the hotel to collapse in a nap. I didn't do much all day but sit or stand around, but the funeral had exhausted us both. It struck me that the ritual was necessary in a Southern family like mine, even when the deceased was someone who had alienated us all. But then again, funerals are not for the dead...they are for the living.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-15866891308346567482010-10-15T22:57:00.000-04:002010-10-15T22:57:44.082-04:00Bad Grandma - A Primer (from Facebook Note of March 2, 2009)My bad grandma has struck again, so I feel the overwhelming need to explain who she is and why she's so "bad". This story is a string of horrors that goes back pretty much to the depression, but definitely in the 1950s. I hasten to add that as bad as my mother's mother is, my father's mother has more than made up for it in the Grandma department. She was everything that my bad grandma was not: kinda, generous, loving, tender-hearted. But this note isn't about her; it's about my bad grandma: Wilmoth Felts Milliken Swaringim.<br />
<br />
<br />
She was born October 25, 1925 near Joelton, TN to Andrew Jackson Felts and his wife. I never knew either of them, but the family tells wonderful stories about their beloved "Pap" and the woman my mom called "Grandmother". My theory is that Andrew Jackson Felts made only one serious mistake in the raising of his children; he allowed my grandma to become the apple of his eye. Out of about 12 children, she was certainly his darling. I have been told stories about how she would often be the one to get new clothes or shoes during the depression even though she was not the oldest daughter, let alone the oldest child. She was praised heavily for her intellect, and she graduated top of her class in the middle of WWII while all the boys were off fighting. She has remained very proud of being a Valedictorian, even though the class had no boys and ended up with 10 graduating seniors. She ended up being married off to a friend of her older brothers, Tony Milliken.<br />
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I'm not sure when everything went sour, but it can't have been long after they were married. They did manage to have my mother, but the marriage was never happy in her memory. My grandma never felt that Papa Tony ever made enough money to keep her in the lifestyle in which she felt she deserved. She also sang quite a bit with her church, even forming gospel groups trying to get a recording contract. That was the time the affairs started. She usually slept with her lead singer, although God only knows if there were others.<br />
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Her penchant for adultery resulted in a heavy price for my mother at age 7. My grandmother dropped my mom off at her sister's place so that she could run off with her lover and go "parking" along a country lane. I imagine they were probably doing it in the back seat, since I'm sure the guy was married too. Well, my grandpa got wind of it, became enraged, grabbed his rifle, and went looking for my bad grandma. Word reached my Aunt Janie (the sister looking after my mom), and she sent someone to go tell my Grandma so that she wouldn't be caught in the act. My grandma did make it back to Aunt Janie's house in time to reapply her make-up and pretend nothing was amiss. My grandpa reached the house, and when Aunt Janie wouldn't let her in, he hit her with his fist, knocking her down. He found my bad grandma in a spare bedroom with my 7 year old mother.<br />
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During the confrontation that ensued, my grandfather raised his rifle to my grandmother. Now most mothers I have known in my life would immediately think of protecting their child in this situation, likely placing themselves between the weapon and their child. Not my bad grandma! She figured that my mom was insurance that Papa Tony wouldn't pull the trigger, so she placed my 7 year old mother between the barrel of the rifle and herself. The result was that my grandfather was pointing a loaded rifle directly at the head of my 7 year old mother, his daughter. He did relent, but to this day, my mother cannot see a gun in person without almost going into a panic attack.<br />
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She continued to carry on her affairs, but with more discretion. She mostly tormented my grandfather and brought out the worst in him. He held down two jobs, but he drank a lot. They finally divorced in 1968 just as my mom was going to college at the University of TN. My grandma decided to shame and guilt my mother into dropping out of school only 6 weeks into her freshman semester to come home to Nashville and be with her while she went through the divorce. Again, most parents would be glad their child was off at school during such a difficult time, but not my bad grandma!<br />
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On my mom's wedding day, my grandmother refused to attend if my grandfather was allowed to come. My grandfather also didn't want to come if my grandmother was going to be there, so they forced her to choose. My grandma implied that if my mom chose her father, the rest of her extended family would boycott the wedding in protest. So my mom chose my bad grandma and had to have an uncle walk her down the aisle and give her away. Even on my mom's wedding day, my bad grandma made it all about her.<br />
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Next stop on her greatest hits was my birth. My grandma decided to set her wedding date just days before I was due to be born. She wanted my mother to be in the wedding, but there was no way a doctor would let my mother travel out of state so close to her due date. My grandma, however, would not budge and insisted she had to be married that very weekend before I was due. So my mom simply did not go to her mother's 2nd wedding. Don Swaringim was no prize. I vaguely remember him as this creepy old guy. My mother has stories of him flirting inappropriately with her. Of course, while my grandma was in the hospital with a hysterectomy in the late 1970s, Don moved in with his girlfriend at the time. <br />
<br />
Anyway, I was born while my grandma was honeymooning in Hot Springs, AR. For my dad's parents, the second my mom's water broke, they called into work, and hit the road for Lexington, KY to be there for my birth. My bad grandma couldn't be bothered to come see her first (and turns out, only) born grandchild until sometime in mid-July when I was 6 weeks old. <br />
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Starting from my earliest memories, my bad Grandma (who's nickname was Snookie... don't ask, I don't know) would tell me how stupid my mother was. She went on and on about how she didn't know how her daughter could be so dumb when she had been so smart. She was valedictorian of her high school class after all. My mother, on the other hand, was lucky to get out of algebra with a D. She did well in language arts and history, but none of that matter to my grandma. She also would rave about how lucky my mom was to have landed a man such as my father. A man with a good job and brains. <br />
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When it appeared that I too might be gifted in the classroom, my grandmother was thrilled. She said it was obviously due to HER GENES and my father's. As if my mother had nothing to do with it. As if my mother was not a stay-at-home-mom, giving her her nursing career to be able to raise me at home and instill a love of learning that continues to this day. My mother never got credit for any of that, just the humiliation of having her mother tell her child IN HER PRESENCE how stupid she was. <br />
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She also had a little trick to play on my grandpa. Seeing how close my mother and I were, my grandma once told me that as a child, my grandpa had beaten my mother. Now you have to understand that I kind of found Papa Tony to be a creepy old guy. His father had beaten his mother while she was pregnant with him in 1912, leaving him with a speech impediment. Since my dad's parents were so young (they were 42 and 44 when I was born), I thought all old people were like my Papa Tony. I couldn't understand him, and he scared me as a result. Hearing that he used to beat my mom as a little girl made me hate him. Finally, when I was about 9, my mother pulled me aside and asked why I was being so hateful and rude to my grandfather. I told her that I knew he had beaten her as a child, and she was dumbstruck. She said that was a lie, he had done no such thing! Where would I have heard such a thing. When I told her it was my bad grandma, it all made sense. My mother later told me how angry her dad got when she told him what my grandma had done. He muttered something about her secrets, but never clarified. I kinda wish he had.<br />
<br />
So after Don and my bad grandma divorced, she had a run of pretty bad credit problems. I remember having to go to Nashville at least every 6 months to move my grandma so that she could stay one step ahead of HUD. At one point, she started dating men who were willing to give her money. It wasn't strictly a business arrangement, but she'd only go out with men who were willing to help pay her bills. She had a car repossessed. She even embezzled $25,000 from her own brother's garbage business. Of course, blood being thicker than water, he forgave her and did not press charges.<br />
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After my grandmother got on her feet, her self-centered nature continued to express itself. The summer between my senior year of high school and first semester of college, she had to have a quadruple bypass. My dad was with his dad in Alaska on an extended road trip. I was working every day at IBM as part of a scholarship I had received. Mom had never left me alone overnight with no adult around at all. I was 18, so I didn't think it was a big deal, but for her, it was. Nevertheless, she went to Nashville to be with her mom and I happily stayed at home alone, enjoying honest-to-God adulthood for the first time.<br />
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My mom stayed about a week and then returned to Lexington after making sure my grandma had her rehab lined up. For my grandma, this wasn't enough. During the fall of my freshman year in college, she wrote me a letter whose main purpose was to tell me what a horrible daughter my mother was. Why was my mother such a horrible daughter? Well, despite having spent over a week with her during and after the surgery, my mother did not drop everything and move in with her for the duration of her 3 month recovery. I'm not sure why she thought this would impress me, but I immediately picked up the phone and read the letter to my parents.<br />
<br />
Later, after another heart surgery, my mother had a breast cancer scare. She was unsure what to tell my bad grandma, if anything, because the surgery had left her weak. Eventually, the doctor told my mom to go ahead and tell her because she could handle it. Well, my poor mom had the misfortune of telling my grandma about her possible breast cancer on the same day that her dog Mitzi died. My grandmother's response to my mom's news? I was there. She said, "Oh you'll be fine. But my Mitzi is gone forever!" I love my dogs, but I hope if I had a child of mine tell me that he/she might have cancer, that the loss of my beloved pet would take immediate 2nd place. Not so with my bad grandma.<br />
<br />
When my grandpa finally died after a series of really bad strokes and 10 yrs in a nursing home, my grandma's response was to show up at our hotel to gloat that she had outlived her ex-husband. She wanted to come to the funeral too, to play the supportive mother, but my mom had the sense to refuse her.<br />
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At my college graduation, my Aunt Janie, Cricket, and bad grandma came to Virginia Tech to see me on the big day. My grandma bitched and moaned the whole time. She drove my Aunt Janie so nuts that she vowed never to travel with her again. Aunt Janie had a the patience of a saint. She loved all her nieces and nephews as if we were her own. She treated us like we were hers too. Even family members who ended up stealing from her to support drug habits never had Aunt Janie completely turn her back on them. She could give tough love when needed, but family was everything to her. Even my bad grandma pushed her to the limit to a point that she cut her out of her life. I don't know how Aunt Janie lasted as long as she did.<br />
<br />
When Aunt Janie died a few years ago, all my grandma could do at her baby sister's funeral was bad mouth Aunt Janie about how well she took care of herself. Then she'd turn the story back to her and how "badly" Aunt Janie had treated her. This...at the woman's funeral!! She's lucky no one in the family punched her lights out.<br />
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Another fun story of my grandmother's unmitigated gal and selfishness is from a time that most of my immediate family, especially on my dad's side, met at a Cracker Barrel to eat. During this breakfast, my bad grandma decided to tell my GOOD grandma in front of everyone that the only reason my parents and I preferred to stay with my good grandma is because she cooked for us. Can you imagine the lack of MANNERS that would lead a person to make such a declaration in such a setting??? My good grandma took it with a grain of salt, but my mother was humiliated.<br />
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The stories of my bad grandma's meanness, pettiness, and selfishness could go on and on. I think I have made my point with these stories, though. My bad grandma is now 83 years old, and she has systemically driven away anyone and everyone who cared for her or even loved her. Yet, she thinks the fault lies with everyone else. She cannot understand that it is HER PERSONALITY and ACTIONS that have driven everyone away from her in the sunset of her life.<br />
<br />
This past weekend, my bad grandma struck again! Turns out, three cousins died this weekend within one hour of each other. One died of cancer, and within an hour, two more died in a bad car accident. So the family is having a triple funeral this week. These are all people my mom played with as a child. <br />
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My mom had been visiting me, and when she got home, she received a call from the Tennessee Division of Adult Protective Services about my bad grandma. I have no idea who turned her in, but they were calling to say my bad grandma could no longer live alone. She also refused assisted living because after she would pay her fee, she’d only have $2 to her name a month. Not enough to exactly eat. The guy asked if there was anyone who could help her financially, or if she could live with my mom. Now my mom is worried she won’t be able to afford HER rent, let alone take in her mother. Besides, it would take less than a week before my mom would likely kill my bad grandma. She told him that everyone in her family was about as old as she was, and there wasn’t anyone to take her in. My grandma is such a horrible person that she has driven away anyone and everyone who has ever cared about her. She is reaping the bitterness she has sown throughout her life. Who knows what will happen to her now? <br />
<br />
It gets better. At 11:15pm, my bad grandma calls my mom. My mom goes to bed at 9pm most nights. She called to bitch about the family and how no one calls her. She then told my mom that the reason she never called to tell my mom that her favorite aunt (my grandmother’s sister) had died was because my Aunt Janie had not returned any of her previous 11 phone calls. So she didn’t tell my mother that the woman died out of a snit over not having HER phone calls to Aunt Janie returned! How narcissistic can you be? She then complained about the person who was going to take her to the funeral because they weren’t going to the visitation or the burial site. She also shared this gem… the cousin that died of cancer had fought it for 5 yrs, and she said she was sorry that Sarah had suffered as much as she did, but that it must have been God’s will for her. WHO says shit like that?!?! It’s frightening to think she’s blood.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-35674851301855403302010-10-15T22:49:00.000-04:002010-10-15T22:49:16.523-04:00Poison Pen - Bad Grandma's Last AttackAs I had mentioned on Facebook a couple of weeks ago, my Bad Grandma left a poison pen letter that she did not intend to be read until after her death. She did not know that her final months would require a power of attorney that would reveal this letter before her death. This letter is handwritten on yellow lined note paper. I am going to transcribe it now. I will <em>italicize her words</em>, and <strong>interject my own commentary</strong> in bold. Any misspellings are hers.<br />
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<em>8-6-07</em><br />
<br />
<em>People that helped Tony Milliken turn my daughter, Pam, against me.</em><br />
<br />
<em>*1. Tony Milliken, 1st husband</em><strong> (my grandfather)</strong><br />
<em>*2. Mary Patience Felts, Mother</em> <strong>(my great-grandma, who died before I was born)</strong><br />
<em>3. Mary Ella Watts, Sister</em> <strong>(my great aunt, who is now suffering from Alzheimer's)</strong><br />
<em>*4. Janie Chance, Sister</em> <strong>(my great aunt, who was one of the best people I've ever known)</strong><br />
<br />
<em>No telling how many more family members I'll find out later. They all resinted me because I would not sit back and let them rule my life, tell me what to do and when.</em><br />
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<em>*Now dead.</em><br />
<br />
<em>Add Pam Cecil name to the above listing of names. Resentment of me is now Pam and 4 other family members. </em><br />
<br />
<em>Pam and 4 other family members against me through many lies. Family members resented me from first school years until their death, except Buck and Sis </em><strong>(two of her older siblings who died before I was born)</strong><em>. Since I was the only honor student of the 12 children, that caused jealousy for many since there was 12 of us, I was born #8, 10-23-25. I always tried to be the best student in each class while growing up and drew many rewards from teachers for being No. 1, that caused much resentment to family members. Then I received top honors in high school being Senior Class President in 1944 Joelton High School. Also, was on honor roll all through high school, having 95 average on all 4 subjects monthly. Graduated 1944 with grade average of 98.6 Senior year. Then, Sept 1944 married Tony Milliken, he would not let me go to college even though I was offered scholarships from 2 colleges.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Since Tony would not let me go to college, I went to work in office for Franklin Limestone Co. Worked there 19 years. Owner died ad Co. sold to Lambert Bros.</em><br />
<br />
<em>Worked other accounting jobs until 1982, went to work for Funky But Music, name at that time. Later changed to Morningstar Management. Owners, Kyle Lehning, Engineer, Tony Gottlieb, office and Gen. Manager. Was hired by music co. 2-10-82. Kyle Lehning moved to Nashville and built a recording studio at residence. I continued working in gerneral office and accounting until July 7, 2007. Worked 25 years for Kyle Lehning, one of the best people in the world. Very pleasant and loved by everyone that knew him.</em><br />
<br />
<em>Kyle has produced many of the big acts in Country Music, such as Randy Travis, Dan Seals, Seals & Crawford and many others.</em> <br />
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<strong>(Here, the ink changes)</strong> <em>He is the best man anyone has ever known as chief in the Music Business World.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Bought up as an only child in Cairo, Ill., the best there is anywhere.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Wilmoth Swaringim</em><br />
<em>Jan. 21, 2008</em><br />
<br />
Am I alone in thinking that she was obviously in love with Kyle Lehning, who kept her employed well beyond her usefulness to him? And these lies that she accuses my mother and other family members of spreading about her...what are they? What's the truth in her eyes? Who knows? She goes from the paranoia in the first part of the letter into something that sounds like a eulogy for a man she adored. I also find it amusing that she ends up adding my mother to the list of people who turned my mother against her! How does that work? How can you turn YOURSELF against someone with lies? <br />
<br />
I think this letter exhibits her self-centeredness. I don't know why she thought everyone was just jealous of her. From everything I saw, her siblings looked at her as someone they tried very hard to love, no matter what she said or did to them. <br />
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I think her story about having college scholarships and my grandfather (born August 1912, so he was 32 when they married) forbidding it sounds true. One thing my grandma did not mention is her frequent charge that her mother "forced" her to marry my grandfather right after she graduated from high school. If my grandfather did prevent her from going to college, he was wrong. He was also a product of the times and place (rural Tennessee). <br />
<br />
Tomorrow, my grandmother has her funeral. My cousin, Mary Francis, who cared for her at the end like a saint, felt it was important to give her the full 4 hours of visitation my grandmother wanted. I have no idea how many will come, but my mom and I won't show up until 12:30pm. Mom cannot emotionally stand much longer than that. She's also worrying about being judged by people who only knew my grandma and the way she talked about my mom like a dog. Luckily, we're all southerners with enough manners to be nice (I hope). But if anyone tries to be snide to my mom, I WILL read them for trash in front of everyone.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-4172432514763098852010-08-13T17:58:00.000-04:002010-08-13T17:58:09.644-04:00Trying to be the Good Son<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I got a call at work from my mother today, and I thought it was weird because it was the 2nd call from her in an hour or so. The first call was her telling me that she kept getting a message on her computer that her McAfee anti-virus was expiring. I thought I might have to have the computer to re-up the subscription, but that was not the case. I figured out how to do it through the McAfee website signed in as my mother. (Ain't technology grand!) Sure enough, her anti-virus was going to expire a couple of days before her birthday, which is next Thursday. It made the most sense for me to update her for 2 years, so that's what I did. Money's tight for me right now, but I can make it work at the moment. I told her it would be her birthday gift (and I still have to get a card for her and my Good Grandma, whose birthday is the day after my mom's) and left it at that.<br />
<br />
So the second call had me perplexed as to why she would be calling. As soon as I picked up the phone, I regretted it. My mother was partially sobbing into the phone. She started telling me how worthless she was, how I was going to dread it every time I saw her number come up on the phone, how she does nothing to add to my life and only takes, how all she does is ask me for money, and how that ain't right, and she's going to push me away because of it, and I work hard for my money, and it's not right for her to take it from me, and did she mention how worthless she was, how nothing she did was enough, no matter how hard she worked or tried, she couldn't escape needing to ask me for money, which was going to make me hate her, and she couldn't stand that, but she couldn't stand being a leech on my life.<br />
<br />
I wrote that last sentence as a run-on on purpose, b/c that's how the whole conversation felt to me. First, I HATE IT WHEN SHE CRIES. I have always hated it when she cries. There's nothing I can do when she cries, and I didn't understand why she was unburdening herself on me. What was the point of calling me up to berate herself for the help I give her? Did she think I wanted her to do that? Did it make her feel better? (I did ask that question, and the answer was "no".) Was it supposed to make me feel so bad about how my charity to her is making HER feel that I'll turn her down in the future?<br />
<br />
I simply do not understand, and I resented it. I resented her dumping this on me. What was I supposed to do? She's my MOTHER. She is trying the best she can to make her ends meet, and it's not working. The economy sucks ass, and no one wants to hire a nearly 60 year old woman anyway. She's cut out every luxury from her life. She applies to jobs, and she goes to hers every day, even when she doesn't want to. This morning she said she was "sooooo tired" but she took every ounce of strength she had to come to work. In my view, this is her contribution. She's doing the best she can. I expect no more of her. As long as I can meet my bills and help her, I will. She's my mother, and we are really the only family each other has. But goddamn it, don't dump your emotional shit on me that results from me trying to help you! I don't need it. Find a friend to weep and wail about this stuff. I worry about her enough as it is; I can't take the burden of guilt that I'm making her feel worse about herself by the very act of behaving like a good son!</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-51532648364802891492010-02-02T13:53:00.004-05:002010-02-02T13:59:23.263-05:00My Letter to Saxby on DADT RepealAfter watching today's hearing live on the web, I knew I had to write MY United States Senator Saxby Chambliss about his remarks. Whether he likes it or not, he has gay and lesbian constituents both in and out of the armed forces. On most controversial issues, my two senators are die-hard Republicans, and I know that my voice doesn't matter to them, so I don't bother to contact them. Why waste my breath? But today, I put aside the likelihood that I'm wasting my time to write Saxby through his website. The following is the body of my letter:<br /><br /><blockquote>Dear Senator Chambliss:<br /><br />I watched the live feed of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) hearing during today’s Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. Your comments filled me with shame that my Senator would continue to belittle and demean the service of gay and lesbian service members, many of whom are based right here in Georgia. During the war on terror, we have fired over 300 talented linguists (many of them fluent in Arabic) and medics. This has been done at a time of two wars when many service members have been forced into 3 or 4 deployments thanks to “stop loss” provisions. We need the service of every qualified American who is willing to serve, including the gay and lesbian Americans. To continue to have this law on the books is un-American, costly to the taxpayer (all that training, especially for linguists, is lost), and makes no sense when virtually ALL of our allies have openly gay and lesbian service members serving along side our American troops without a problem.<br /><br />I understand there is no “constitutional right to serve” in the military. It takes a special person to serve successfully in our military, and sexual orientation should not be a bar. Gay and lesbian people serve in the military now with varying degrees of openness. In most units, if you spoke them with assurances of confidentially, everyone knows who the gay and lesbians are in the unit. Most don’t care. Even without DADT, good order can be maintained with regular discipline. Our allies have shown us that it makes no difference in morale, retention, or recruitment when openly gay and lesbian service members are allowed to serve. They should be under the same behavior restraints as heterosexual service members.<br /><br />The old stereotypes about showers, sleeping quarters, etc is a red herring, and I suspect you know that. The notion that drag queens would try to serve is equally ridiculous. You won’t find the gay stereotypes rushing to sign for military service. Even if they did, they would never make it out of basic training. Secretary Gates, who was originally appointed by President Bush, has realized how outdated this law is, and that is needs to be repealed. I understand you wish to play to the bigotry that is inherent in Georgia regarding anything to do with gay and lesbian citizens. I would urge you to ultimately support repealing the DADT law so that the military can find a way to rationally and systematically implement the honorable service, without the lies that DADT demands, of gay and lesbian Americans who are otherwise eligible to defend our freedoms.<br /><br />I don’t expect you to openly support repeal of DADT as I am not that naïve. However, it would be nice if you wouldn’t embarrass yourself by making nonsensical and bigoted arguments in public on this issue. I would ask that you simply remain silent, push the military to consider all the issues of implementing repeal, and vote “Aye” on the Defense Authorization Bill when it comes to a vote with DADT repeal attached to it. <br /><br />Thank you,<br /><br />Jason A. Cecil<br />Decatur, GA<br /></blockquote>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-48541191407747523232010-01-29T06:37:00.000-05:002010-01-29T11:04:57.960-05:00The Conundrum of MonogamyI thought the phenomenon was fairly unique to Atlanta. With all the gay boys here from all over the Southeast, I figured the proverbial pond had too many fish. It seems like boys in relationships here always have one eye on the crowd to see if they might not be able to find someone "better". Rarely do you see people actually enjoying the person they are with. It's the most frustrating and depressing part about being single in Atlanta.<br /><br />Yet, here comes a new study on gay monogamy (or lack thereof) from San Francisco State University, featured in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/us/29sfmetro.html">New York Times</a>. The Gay Couples Study followed 556 male couples for three years, and about 50 percent of those surveyed have sex outside their relationships, with the knowledge and approval of their partners. The study reveals that monogamy is not a central feature for many same sex relationships. Some gay men and lesbians argue that, as a result, they have stronger, longer-lasting and more honest relationships. <br /><br />The key to success are rules. The rules agreed to by the couples vary, but one couple said their rules were: complete disclosure, honesty about all encounters, advance approval of partners, and no sex with strangers — they must both know the other men first. I guess for them, a trip to the sex club is out. The notion of interviews for potential playmates seems to me to be odd, but if it works for them, that's great. The only "cheating" that can occur is if the agreement is broken. The study found that open relationships were just as happy as monogamous ones.<br /><br />I realize that as men, we think of sex differently. For most us, there's not a very long road to separating sex and love. You can deeply love someone and still have emotionless sex with another person. I don't think the situation is ideal, because there is something about sex with someone you love. <br /><br />My other question for these couples is: Do you still have sex with each other? I've known several "open" couples who spend most of their free time together looking for playmates online. Personally, one of the of the benefits of a relationship is not having to waste all that time looking for the false intimacy of a trick. If you don't have sex with each other, then aren't you just glorified roommates? How's it different than living with your best friend? Is that a real romantic relationship? <br /><br />I have very mixed feelings. The first emotion that came up was anger. Such a study is not helpful when we are trying to win gay marriage. That is why most couples contacted by the Times declined to be interviewed. Why anger? To me, it seemed greedy. These people have found love and companionship, and now they're still out playing the field, competing for attention with guys like me who are alone. Maybe some open couple becomes fuck buddies with a guy that would be perfect for me, but hey, he's getting regular sex, so why bother with an actual relationship with someone? <br /><br />I have been struggling mightily over the last couple of years with my perpetual single state. I am 34 years old, and I thought by now I'd be settled down with someone. When my parents were my age, I was NINE. The fact that I'm single with no prospects makes me feel like a personal failure. Intellectually, I may know that's poppycock, but it is how I feel. I'd like to find a guy who will choose to love me like I'm family. I'm talking the kind of love that your parents have for you, or maybe your siblings...with a sexual flavor of course. But it's the kind of love that you can be totally secure in; no matter how badly you might fight over something, they are not going to stop loving you. They will stick with you through thick and thin, not because you are blood, but because they choose to love as if you are blood. There's no question about severing the relationship except under the most dire circumstances.<br /><br />If I found a man to love me like that, would I agree to an open relationship? Not at first. I think it's crucial to have a period where you are monogamous as you build the love and trust between you. There has to be a period where it's just you. I'd love that period to last the life of the relationship, but if I found a guy who loved me as I have just decribed (and who I loved the same way in return), I don't know how how I'd feel 5-6 years into the relationship and he/I/we wanted to explore opening it up. I don't know what rules I'd need to feel comfortable with that arrangement. I do know that it could not include stopping sex with me. Openness should enhance, not replace the relationship you have already. Of course, if the guy who loved me the way I described wanted monogamy for life, I think I'd be fine with that. The hunt for physical intimacy is tiring.<br /><br />But until I find my prince charming (I'm trying to keep hope alive that a match for me exists... and that is a very difficult fight for me to wage), I do have some resentment of the folks who have their cake, but would like to eat mine too.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-21823116745027628372010-01-11T14:10:00.002-05:002010-01-11T14:47:57.911-05:00Poor, Sad Harry ReidIt appears that Mr. Reid, Democratic Senate Majority Leader, really stepped in it when he told an author on the record that Obama could win the Presidency because he was "light skinned" and didn't speak with a "Negro dialect" unless he wanted to. The Republicans, digging up the corpse of Trent Lott from 2002, have been screaming for Reid's immediate resignation and/or ouster. It's only fair, they say. Trent was run out of town for saying less. If Reid isn't ousted, it proves there is a double standard! Reid's just shown he's a big ol' racist, and we can't have that! <br /><br />First, I think Harry Reid's comments were impolitic, and his use of "Negro dialect" was idiotic. It's 2009, Harry; "Negro" as a term has long fallen from the American lexicon. It's not nearly as toxic as "n*gger", but it's awfully close. FYI, we also no longer use the word "colored" to describe people of African American descent. <br /><br />Second, who in the Democratic race didn't wonder if a black man or a woman could be elected in 2008? We knew we stood an excellent chance with the disaster that was the Bush presidency, but no one was sure how the general election would go. There were people who didn't think Hillary could be seen as "tough enough" in an era of terrorism. Others thought she was "too hard". I'll never forget the night of the JJ Dinner in Atlanta on the day that Edwards ended his campaign when I heard *many* stalwart party members swear, "Well, I know one thing, I'll never vote for that <em>fucking bitch!</em>" (emphasis NOT mine) In my mind, that answered the question of which was stronger in Georgia: racism or sexism. Turns out, having a penis was more important than being white, at least when voting for President of the United States. I estimate that about 95% of Edwards' vote in Georgia went straight to Obama.<br /><br />My point is that everyone was speculating about the role of race and gender in the 2008 election! Many black folks wouldn't give Obama a second look until he proved he could get white folks in Iowa to vote for him. To have a quote from Reid during that primary remarking on the strengths of being biracial or "light skinned" in presidential politics is not racist. It was a fact. In Georgia, we were forced to attempt overcoming racism in some of our voters by urging them to for Obama's "white half". That was a disgusting argument to be forced to make to voters who normally voted Democratic, but it was one we used. Whatever would earn their vote for Obama was what we'd use. If a racist has to comfort himself by voting for Obama's "white half", then so be it; at least he voted for Obama.<br /><br />As for his speaking style, Obama's oratorical skills have been noted since he came on the national scene in 2004. Even Biden got in trouble during the primary by saying Obama was "well spoken" and "clean". I never did understand the "clean" part because I haven't found that African Americans are dirty unless they just got off a construction site where EVERYONE is filthy. If Obama had not been the articulate candidate he was and instead spoke in either Ebonics or another street vernacular favored by today's hard-core rap artists...would he have stood a chance? I'd love to hear a serious argument that he would have stood a chance in such a circumstance. As it is, if Obama ever trots out a rapper dialect, I'd dissolve in laughter because it just wouldn't be believable. Likewise, if Obama started wearing blue jeans so big that he showed us his underwear, I'd be convinced that: A) Michelle had left him, and B) he'd lost his mind. That was the argument that Reid was getting at with his "Negro dialect" remark. A better characterization is an "urban street" dialect because it spoken by white and black alike in the areas where it is used. <br /><br />Finally, when thinking about the Lott comments that our nation would have been better off if Strom Thurmond had been elected President in 1948 so we could have avoided "all these problems" over the years, I am struck by the truthfulness of those remarks versus Reid's comments. Lott was lamenting that an ardent segregationist had not won the White House in 1948, and "all those problems" could only be described as the dismanteling of the aparteid system in the United States at the time. It is DEMONSTRABLY FALSE that the United States would have been better off had Strom Thurmond been elected President in 1948. His election would have set our nation back DECADES, and likely have resulted in a much more violent civil rights movement. Anyone wistfully remembering segregation and wishing it could have been prolonged, and saying it would have been GOOD for the country is lying. <br /><br />With Reid, who can say his statement was false? How would Obama's chances at election have changed if he had a darker skin color? What if he wasn't nearly as eloquent, and spoke instead in a general urban street dialect favored by hard core rappers? Who can seriously argue that making such a change would not have killed his chances at election? I don't know how his skin hue would have changed things, but I do know that skin tone is still a huge issue in the African American community, where lighter skinned folks are seen as "better" somehow in the media and by the public in general. We're trained to think "dark" is "sinister" and "bad". If we only changed his skin hue, would Obama have won? I don't know. I'd hope so, but I simply do not know. Reid did not speak a lie when he made his remarks, unlike Lott when he made his.<br /><br />Finally, I think it does make a difference when a public official makes a stupid statement like Reid did with "negro dialect" to look at his public record. Harry Reid has been pro-diveristy and has worked on behalf of black Americans during his career. Trent Lott, on the other hand, did little to nothing for black people, and could be argued to have had a career that was outright hostile to them and their interests. Such a record DOES make a difference. Lott had a horrible record on helping black Americans, and his statement was an ugly, bald faced lie. Reid's statement was ignorant, but his assessment of the role of race in the election was a common one, and made by political people from the grassroots to the very highest levels. His assessment was also truthful, even if we find its discussion embarassing.<br /><br />That's why the Reid and Lott situations are different, and why Reid does not need to step down.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11518947.post-53276538094521861982010-01-07T08:45:00.002-05:002010-01-07T10:37:36.621-05:00IF Republicans RuledLet's pretend that the American people simply lose their collective minds, and completely hand over control of the US Government to Republicans. I'm talking 90-95 seats in the Senate, 90-95% of the seats in the House. Oh, and they would also need to control state legislatures in at least 36 states. Yes, that's an obscene majority that would not happen in reality, but IF it did happen, what would be the consequences? What would be the wet dream of Hannity, Faux News, Rush, the Tea Baggers, and all other "conservatives"? My take is based off all the crap we hear on talk radio, as well as the GOP platform, along with arguments I've had over the years with Republicans.<br /><br /><strong>US CONSTITUTION</strong><br /><br />With this kind of majority, the Constitution could be amended at will. Here are the changes to look for:<br /><ol><li>Amendment XVI (Income Tax) - REPEALED</li><li>Amendment XVII (Direct election of Senators) - REPEALED. This would put us back to the system where state legislatures elected Senators.</li><li>AMENDMENT: Presidential Candidates must provide any evidence demanded by a member of the Electoral College as to qualifications for holding the Office of President. (sop to the birthers)</li><li>AMENDMENT: Human Life Amendment, which will give the status of personhood and US citizenship from the moment of conception. (Bye, bye <em>Roe</em>, hello rusty coat hangers!)</li><li>AMENDMENT: Balanced Budgeet Amendment, requiring balanced budgets every year but with a 75% vote required to waive this requirement in times of war ONLY (this is for you, Tea Baggers!)</li><li>AMENDMENT: Will require that the Constitution be interpreted using word definitions in place at the time of adoption. (Originalist dream... anything the founders could not have forseen in 1787 will be unconstitutional without amendment. Amendments will be interpreted only as they might have been understood at adoption. That means the 14th amendment can only be looked at through the lens of 1868.)</li><li>AMENDMENT: Federal Marriage Amendment that will adopt language of "Super DOMA" amendments of states banning same-sex marriage AND any benefits resembling marriage for same-sex couples nationwide. Amendment will also clearly undo any marriages that have already occurred. </li><li>AMENDMENT: Citizenship granted only at birth for children whose parents are already citizens.</li><li>AMENDMENT: Stating that the United States is based on Judeo-Christian tradition and values, and to protect our freedoms, no law may controvene that tradition.</li></ol><p><strong>LAWS AND AGENCIES</strong></p><p>With their reconfiguring of the US Constitution finished, the GOP will then turn its eye on laws and agencies they hate.</p><ol><li>Social Security Act - REPEALED (not in one swift act, but those not already on Social Security at time of passage will not have it available. They'll let seniors currently in the system stay in it until they die off.)</li><li>Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Education - ABOLISHED completely. All other departments, except Defense, will be seriously scaled down to about 10-20% current size.</li><li>Food and Drug Act - REPEALED. Oversight of food and drug production only hampers business and increases prices, after all. Caveat emptor bitches!</li><li>Health Reform - REPEALED. Whatever the Dems may pass this year will be repealed in its entirety. In its stead, the GOP will institute its "reforms": a) allow interstate sales of insurance (helps companies make more profit in low-cost areas by charging everyone as if they lived in NYC), b) BAN all medical lawsuits except in cases of gross negligence (to be fair, actual negliance could also be used, which is a lower threshhold), and that would be about it. Medicare/Medicaid REPEALED, although people currently in the system will be allowed to stay in until they die or are no longer eligible.</li><li>Immigration Reform - Build a fortified wall on the Mexican border. Order all people deported to their country of origin who cannot provide absolute proof of legal residency. Legal residency will have an English fluency requirement. All government communications will be in English only without any translation provided. All illegal immigrants will be banned from any public service whatsoever, including schools and hospitals, even emergency rooms.</li><li>Labor - All pro-labor laws and regulations will be REPEALED. The United States will become a "right to work" nation with the minimum wage also ABOLISHED. </li><li>Education - States will be mandated to provide vouchers, although there will be no requirement that private schools accept any children they don't want to accept, and will be free to charge any amount they wish above the voucher limit, which the parents must pay or their children will not be allowed to attend. Teachers unions ABOLISHED and BANNED.</li><li>Taxes - All income and inheritance taxes are REPEALED. Capital Gains Tax also repealed. Everything replaced with a 23% national sales tax.</li><li>Environment - Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, etc all REPEALED. EPA ABOSLISHED. All regulations repealed; they only interfere with private enterprise anyway.</li><li>Voter Reform: All "motor voter" laws REPEALED. Only people who prove that they have paid federal taxes may vote. No one on public assistance may vote until they are off public assistance. Felons banned from voting for life. Absolute proof of citizenship required to be shown before voting.</li></ol><p>These are the top initiatives I believe would be swifly enacted with a GOP dominance of our government. I'm sure it would make the tea-baggers and other frothing conservatives very happy to see all these policies enacted. However, as we have seen time and again with legislation, unintended consequences would be a bitch. This America is not one that I would recognize, and if the people of this country approved of such changes, I would no longer feel welcome in my own country. I'd have two choices before me in such a scenario: join an armed rebellion to allow more liberal states to secede, or find another country in which to live. Neither option is palatable for me.</p><p>I hope this horror scenario will inspire you to not sit on your hands this year. We need to RETURN to the polls, no matter how disappointed we may be in this Congress and President Obama. It's important to remember that even with our large majorities, the Republicans have been dedicated to obstruction and forcing failure on all of our initiatives. We Democrats certainly have played our part in helping them out, but we've never been a party like the GOP that has sought to impose the absolute iron discipline on all of our members. It leads to problems, but I prefer it over the command and control style of the Republicans.</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07245908805367806676noreply@blogger.com4