Monday, April 27, 2009
Making Sure Everybody Counts
Boy, was I relieved when Judd Gregg turned down Barack Obama on heading up Commerce.Not only did his rejection start the spreading of the inevitable news that the Republicans weren't up to helping to change the paradigm of politics as usual, but his remarks on not wanting to implement Obama's policies on the conducting of the 2010 census actually gave me a little hope. Judd Gregg can keep his sweaty paws off my data, thank you.
One of my closest friends, restless and retired, decided to work for the census this spring. She endured several days of the worst training experience of her life in order to earn the official census worker badge and the cool little computer that she carries around her town to confirm addresses.
Since she lives in the People's Republic of Vermont, as some New Hampshire residents like to call it, it didn't take long for one of the address confirmees to ask her if there would be a place on the official census form for recording the presence of same sex couples.Apparently not.
As half of one of those couples, I have mixed feelings. There is a certain comfort in invisibility, as those of us who still witness discrimination on a daily basis will tell you. There's a whole lot of attention I can do without.
Back in the 70s I went with friends to see Rita Mae Brown at the Women's Building in L.A. on the Fourth of July. (Remember, Zipdrive?) Those were the days when she was speaking to women, especially lesbians, about empowering themselves by revealing themselves. "If everyone came out, there would be no more prejudice, because everyone would know someone, etc. etc. etc." Yeah, many of us thought, and if everyone was Christian, or Muslim, or whatever, there would be no more religious conflict. And how about that esperanto? Time to give it a shot.
This was all before before Rita Mae got rich from writing all those smarmy kitty mystery
novels became chief Poobah of the hounds at her local hunt club and then began writing smarmy hunt club mysteries. Back when she referred to the porno-violence in our culture.But I digress. It's only now that attitudes have shifted sufficiently, at least here in the PR of VT, that I can peek out enough to contemplate matrimony. And the balance between letting the government know more about my internal workings and standing up for my rights is a tricky one. But for once I am willing to give it a try.
So Obama, in your (I hope) eight years, two terms as president, I am expecting you to grow up and understand that the marriage issue is a civil rights issue. I am hoping that you will understand that you can either do away with the tax advantages you extend to heterosexual married couples or recognize the marriages of gay couples.
Let future census forms count us all.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Sic 'em, Bo
Having visited the Talking Points Memo photo gallery of yesterday's big tax protest, I realize that this was indeed a day of self-expression for some of my fellow Americans. As a self-expresser if sorts moiself, who am I to get in the way of that?Even the tiniest emerging crabgrass was seizing its God-given, American right to express itself. Dubya was obviously behind the scenes, serving as a proofreader. It's great to help out those who would obscure the real reason for the mess we're in!
The great thing about a gathering like this is that it's a chance to make a fashion statement while expressing one's political views. A great opportunity for a lady to be complimented on her choice of hats as well. That simply doesn't happen very often these days.Never, never pass up a chance to yank the kiddies out of school
and get them out of their proximity to their Godless, liberal, no doubt fornicating and possibly sodomizing teachers. Okay, I got this cool tee shirt, but still I miss my friends. And that snake is kinda radical, but it creeps me out. I'll probably have to write a report.Having felt out of the loop for the last eight years, I can only wish the protesters well. They were not allowed to dump all their tea in the Potomac, but I'm told they really wasted the Indiana River, evincing that environmental awareness for which their party has become so well known.
They're going to have to fine-tune their message if we're going to have a good fishing season.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Reveling in Irrelevance
The Republicans, having failed at governance and at any constructive thinking on extricating the mess they were so key in creating, have reverted to what they do best: cheesy showboating.Glenn Beck is even going on a "comedy" tour to six cities! Can you feel the populist energy and rage a-rising?? No matter that it's lobbyist backed and Fox News promoted. We're all filled with The People's Anger.
These clowns are dependent upon the ignorance and empty aspirations of the American people. While it's true that we as a nation know even less about economics than we do the contents of our Constitution and history, we can't help but read the signs of companies collapsing all around us, foreclosures multiplying like so many bunnies, and the numbers of the jobless swelling daily.
What a bunch of dorks. As if the current sunsetting of tax cuts for the wealthy were equivalent to the issue of the Original Tea Party, taxation without representation. But never mind. These idiots are absolutely dependent upon our ignorance and our tendency to shoot first and ask questions later.
"Jeeves, old boy, take a tea bag from the pantry and give it to Miss Snively. Tell her to send it to the White House."
"Very good, sir. But you laid off Miss Snively last week."
"So I did. So I did. Jeeves, old boy, do take up the slack."
AIG Update: I just received my latest Bad News Current Event from AIG. Guess who's gone back to the old VALIC name I wrote about recently?? Take heed, folks, VALIC=AIG!! Whatever the name, I lost $8000 more this quarter. Now, that's performance!
Moral: You can put a tutu on a turd, but don't expect it to dance.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Two Ol' Nags Are Heading to the Hitching Post
I never thought I'd be writing this post.We'd watched the whole gay marriage debate from a kind of distance rather than as a couple yearning to wed. To be truthful, I'm not really hot for most ceremonies and rituals. Putting on a funky little gown and plighting my troth has never appealed to me. My partner has always gone bla-bla philosophical about her personal life and the state being none of one another's bidness.
Yet sometime after September 1, the day that Vermont's gay marriage law takes effect, my darlin' and I will stand up before a very select group and Speak the Unspeakable.
As the debate has gone on, the fundamental unfairness of this last vestige of the Last Respectable Prejudice has become increasingly, irritatingly clear. The arguments have never held water, of course, unless the entire planet's married couples are seething, closeted gay wanna-bes rather than the devoted couples we all hope they are. Gay marriage a threat to the institution of marriage? I don't think so.
But what has really pushed me over the edge, after witnessing all the heartfelt activism of those who have gone before, is the idea that anyone would attempt to separate loving and devoted couples in the name of Family. I think of all the partners pushed away at the hospitals from their AIDS patients because they weren't "family." I think of the parents of sick patients barring access to the partners, to their ailing children. In my own family I have a sibling who is perfectly capable of pulling that sort of rank, should I become incapacitated, keeping me from the one person who is my family, potentially wreaking havoc on the will I have written.
So for all these reasons, this history, these wonderful activists, and the very real love, friendship, delight, and wonder I hold for my partner of 19 years, we will take the plunge, tie the knot, link the pinkies. We'll take our vows in the maple grove of a wildlife refuge we've hiked together for years, gathered with a few close and special friends. The Maddie-dog will be the ring-bearer.
So wish us well and know that this law will doubtless unite many of the already united, bringing a little more order and dignity to their already loving lives.
Labels: our gay marriage
