Blogging, White Guy, Racial Tension Blues

White vs. Black
(Seriously, don't google these terms)

Being a blogger has been challenging lately. I've got a lot going on in my life, big changes afoot. Lots to do, and lots to ponder. So, it puts blogging--a hobby, after all--kind of in the background of my brain. But there's a lot going on, so I want to come on here and opine, share and participate.

But dammit, can it get frustrating and depressing. The racial tension which has been stirred up by Ferguson and other similar cases has been hard to talk about. I'm a white guy, and though I'm gay and an atheist and thus something of an outsider, I'm aware that "white privilege" is a thing. Particularly since I fit the visual mold well enough to read as: non-threatening WASP male. I do not have to deal with the kind of crap other minorities do, and I'm aware of it. Plus, the cases are murky in places, with the victim generally less than a pillar of society, and the facts on the ground less than clear.

But beyond the deaths, and the looting and rioting, and the general feeling of tension, it's the angry white guy response that gets me down. I'm amazed how quick people are to call the victim a "thug." To imply that any bad behavior, petty crime, or even just less-than-respectful response to authority means the guy deserved to die. There's a desire to blame the victims for their own deaths. And the veiled (and unveiled) racially-tinged language just turns my stomach.

Seriously, my images may not be a terrific fit,
but if you search for it, put your filters on!



I believe that--as they say--everyone's a little bit racist. But, we should try not to be. We recognize irrational prejudice, do our best to tamp it down and/or hold it up to the light and get past it. It's the element that seems eager to drop all pretense and plunge straight ahead into full-on racism that is just depressing to me. Go read the comments section in virtually any newspaper or blog on the Ferguson or Staten Island cases (or any of a series of others), and read the Us vs. Them commentary. It stuff I thought we got past long ago, and it's not helpful in any way.

I guess it's too much to hope for that something in this country not boil down to right vs. left, black vs. white.

[Excerpt]

Police Killings Reveal Chasms Between Races

In the decade that Ashley Bernaugh, who is white, has been with her black husband, her family in Indiana has been so smitten with him that she teases them that they love him more than her. . .

Read more at: The New York Times



 

Jon Stewart Returns, Addresses FOX "News" Response to Ferguson

Image from source, Raw Story

It's interesting how often an impactful event happens during a hiatus of The Daily Show, but it sure does. Fortunately, Jon Stewart is back, and he's in fine form.

[Excerpt]

Jon Stewart skewers Fox News for dismissing anger over Ferguson as ‘race arson’

Daily Show host Jon Stewart returned on Monday night by dissecting Fox News’ insistence that protests against police violence in Ferguson, Missouri were incited by liberal “race arsonists.” “I don’t know if I’m supposed to overthrow the government or get one of those panic rooms,” Stewart said. “It almost makes you think that the crime that they’re really upset about over there isn’t race-pimping or race arson — it’s race plagiarism. . .”

Read more at: Raw Story

Ferguson Decision Fallout

At war with the citizenry? Image from source, MSN

I don't have a lot to say about the Ferguson story. I don't know what happened. I understand why people are frustrated and angry, even if the facts of this particular case are murky. Cops are increasingly militarized, and there have been a number of high profile shootings, often of unarmed (or not lethally armed) men. Very often the decedent is black, but not always. "Always" is reserved for "cop walks." Or FBI agent walks. These cases have a higher rate of  "not culpable" decisions than Congress has a retention rate. Police and law agency agents just tend to get the benefit of the doubt, to the point of (sometimes) absurdity.

Now, in this case, as I said, things are a bit murky. Michael Brown seems like he wasn't necessarily a good guy, but then again it's arguable whether or not he deserved to die. The number of times he was shot seems to have been notably excessive, whether or not the first shot was justified. But this long ago became yet another left/right issue, and I don't have this particular fight in me. I hope violence and strife generated from it quickly gives way to substantive discussion and constructive work to fix any real problems in the system. And I think every once in a while, it would be nice if one of these cases could acknowledge that cops are capable of making a mistake, or even being culpable in going further than that.

[Excerpt]

Grand jury won't indict Ferguson cop in shooting

A grand jury declined Monday to indict white police officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown, the unarmed, black 18-year-old whose fatal shooting sparked weeks of sometimes-violent protests and inflamed deep racial tensions between many African-Americans and police. . .

Read more at: MSN

The Gay Thing: Marriage Equality Comes to Missouri (and Maybe Kansas)

With the gigantic Republican swing in the Senate and House, many gay people like myself immediately bristled: "what are they going to try to do?" The marriage equality wave has been bigger and more sustained than even this Republican wave (which, let's face it, was powered by a combination of overly-motivated conservatives, and under-motivated liberals). Up until now, there has been a lot of squawking by conservatives about gay marriage, and futile efforts at slowing it down, but it keeps coming, state-by-state, and even the Supreme Court seems to not care about slowing it down.

April Dawn Breeden & Crystal Peirs at their St. Louis wedding.
Image from source, St. Louis Tribune.

So, I figured we were finally a dead issue. But with their new position, who can be sure what Republicans will do? Will they take this bullshit issue about "sincerely held religious beliefs," couple it with the Hobby Lobby decision, and come up with religious exemptions to civil rights laws? Will they push for a "Federal Marriage Amendment?" Will they come up with something we haven't thought of yet, to demonize gay people, or otherwise try to keep us at second-class status? They might. They might do a lot of crazy stuff. Or, just maybe, they'll be so busy trying to repeal ObamaCare, and with trying to impeach the President over something (anything will likely do), they'll decide we're not worth the trouble.

In any event, it was some consolation to the dismal election returns, to find good news on the marriage equality front in both Kansas and Missouri! Neither is all the way over the finish line, though Missouri will be soon, and Kansas quick to follow. 2/3 of the states now have equal marriage. At this rate, regardless of what they throw at us, we'll get to 50 before they gather a strategy. I hope...

[Excerpt]

Judge overturns Missouri ban on gay marriage

A state judge overturned Missouri’s constitutional ban on gay marriage Wednesday in a ruling that immediately set off a rush among some same-sex couples to apply for marriage licenses. St. Louis Circuit Judge Rex Burlison said in a written ruling that Missouri’s measure recognizing marriage only between a man and woman violates the due process and equal protection rights of the U.S. Constitution. The decision mirrored ones handed down recently in several other states. . .

Read more at: St. Louis Tribune


[Excerpt]

Kansas ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional: judge
 
Same-sex couples may soon be able to marry in Kansas following a federal judge's ruling on Tuesday that the state's ban on same-sex marriage violates the U.S. Constitution. U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Crabtree granted a preliminary injunction stopping Kansas from enforcing its ban on gay marriage and put the ruling on hold until Nov. 11 to give Kansas an opportunity to appeal. . .

Read more at: Reuters

Jon Stewart Returns from Vacation to Discuss Ferguson: Race/Off

Brilliant, as usual.

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Daily Show on Facebook

Rachel Maddow Discusses ISIS and Ferguson on The Late Show with David Letterman

G.I. Cop (A Rocky Mountain Mike Ad Parody)

Leave it to Rocky Mountain Mike to find a nugget of humor in the ongoing crisis in Ferguson, Missouri. Though, hopefully we're getting a consensus that the militarization of the police is at the very least disturbing.

If you want more Rocky Mountain Mike, go here.
 

So, Ferguson, Missouri. What's Up With That?

Is this the new normal in small town USA? Creepy.
Image from source, New York Times.

If you're a regular visitor to this blog, you may have noticed that it's been rather thin around here, of late. Though I do tend to post less in the summer, there's more to it than that. I just can't wrap my hands around some of the horrible news going on in the world. You know? I mean, when it comes to the problems in Ukraine, Israel and Iraq, what can be said? These are long-running, war-prone regions, and I'm not going to pretend I have the answer. And shoot, most of the people who are paid to be experts don't seem to know what they're talking about either, most of the time.

Now, the news out of Ferguson, Missouri is a little closer to home. And my instinct in this case would be to reserve judgment until all the facts are in. I'm not one to immediately jump to the defense of the police or the accused. But I have to say, the cops are coming off badly here. Very, very badly. And I agree with the meme that is ricocheting around the internet: what does a small town police force need with all of this military gear? They look like an army invading a country. Is this what we want American towns to look like, occupied territory?

So, here's a little more on that. I'm going to try to get my brain in the game, but summer's not over yet. I still have that excuse.

[Excerpt]

Amid Protests in Missouri, Officer’s Name Is Still Withheld
 
In the five days since an unarmed young black man was fatally shot by a police officer here, the selective release of information about the shooting, and especially the anonymity granted to the officer, has stoked frustrations in this largely African-American community north of St. Louis, where residents describe increasingly tense relations with the police. . .

Read more at: New York Times

Solve Your Grover Norquist Problem with Norquil! (Rocky Mountain Mike)

I got almost zero useful information out of this Sunday's Meet the Press, except for the part where Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) said, "Who is Grover Norquist?" Not that she didn't know, but who is he in the scheme of politics? Nobody, really. Just a goofy guy with a Muppet's name (and a voice to match) who somehow has snowed the GOP into signing his "no new taxes" pledge for 20 years now.

The GOP seems to finally be tiring of Grover. And now, Rocky Mountain Mike of The Stephanie Miller Show has the answer for them. Norquil!

Photo of the Day: Congressman "Legitimate Rape" Akin. . .

. . .right next to a sign saying "You Can't Fix Stupid, but You Can Vote Them Out!" It's just amazing.

Source: Andrew Kaczynski (@BuzzFeedAndrew)

Romney Not on Board with "Legitimate Rape" Remark

Dude, is that a legitimate comb-over?
Image from source, CBS News.

Okay, kids, if there's one thing I've learned from years of following politics, current events, and. . .uh. . .living as a human on this earth, I know there is one thing you don't mess with: rape. You don't try to parse, bargain about, hand wave or poo-pooh rape. You just don't. Women (and people in general) are not just thorny on the subject, they will take your freakin' head off.

So, how does a person rise to the level of Congressman without knowing this basic fact? This douche nozzle actually tried to whittle rape down to "legitimate rape," and. . .I don't know, "kinda-sorta rape?" And then he peddled some phony-baloney psuedo science about a woman's body preventing pregnancy if there is a real, 100%, bona fide, sure as shootin' rape.

WTF on several levels, man? So, it's not exactly an act of political courage for presidential hopeful Mitt Romney to condemn such language. Or is it? Some of his base is batshit crazy on "personhood." Maybe he lost a few of the rabid pro-lifers with this statement? Who knows. We do know that Paul Ryan is against exceptions of rape and incest for abortion. What does he think about "legitimate" rape?

[Excerpt]

Romney rebukes Akin rape remark

Missouri Congressman Todd Akin, a conservative Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, said in an interview broadcast Sunday that women's bodies can prevent pregnancies in the case of "a legitimate rape," adding that conception in such cases is rare. . .

Read more at: CBS News

Rick Santorum Wins All Three Meaningless Contests!

Oh, GOP. What has become of you? Your front-runner can't get up to speed. Your also-ran is thoroughly unlikeable (as is the front runner). You've got a crazy old man with a rabid (but small) following. And you've got a church fart who couldn't win the general election if Barack Obama came out as a gay, vegan atheist. Really, GOP? Rick (don't Google me) Santorum? Thrice??? And for the comedy kicker, none of the contests is even binding! Seriously, WTF?

[Excerpt]

Breaking News: Santorum Wins All Three Caucuses

The dark horse, Rick Santorum, has won all three of tonight’s contests, in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado. In Missouri, Santorum handily won with 57.4% of the vote. Mitt Romney had 26.4% and Ron Paul, 12.7%. In Minnesota, Santorum had 45.1%, Romney 17.0% and  Newt Gingrich, 10.7%. . .

Read more at: Addicting Info

Barack Obama Draws Huge Crowd in St. Louis

Image from source, Star Tribune

During the recent, final (thank goodness) Presidential debate, John McCain tried to step away from the crazy nutballs in his audience by proclaiming them to be 1 or 2 out of 10 to 20 thousand people at a rally. The Other Half turned to me and asked, "Does McCain ever draw that many people?"

I think he has, but not often. And surely the numbers (even when Sarah Palin is the draw) pale in comparison to Barack Obama's numbers. Check this out, from red state Missouri:

[Excerpt]

100,000 hear Obama speak in St. Louis

The Democratic candidate drew his largest U.S. crowd to date on Saturday -- an estimated 100,000 people who came to hear him speak at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis -- as he campaigned in battleground Missouri just 17 days ahead of the election. And if that weren't enough, another 75,000 turned out to hear him Saturday evening in downtown Kansas City. . .

Read more at: Star Tribune