Attn: People of Color...

In case you missed it in today's Washington Post, I just wanted to let you all know, if you are a person of color in this country, the Republican party isn't interested in your vote. Don't believe me?

And I quote...

One week after Democrats nominated the nation's first black presidential candidate on the eve of the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, Republicans have only one African American -- [former lieutenant governor of Maryland Michael] Steele -- scheduled to speak during prime time at their convention. The united, diverse coalition that Republicans once envisioned instead looks uniform.

The good news, Republicans said, is that they think Sen. John McCain can still win this election with the kind of demographics on display in St. Paul. In an interview with Washington Post reporters and editors Tuesday morning, McCain campaign manager Rick Davis outlined a strategy in which his candidate targets women and white working-class voters and essentially cedes the black vote.

Did you catch that last sentence? Let me repeat for you, in case it went by you in a blur.

"...McCain campaign manager Rick Davis outlined a strategy in which his candidate targets women and white working-class voters and essentially cedes the black vote."

That's Washington-speak "for people of color--especially blacks--don't count and we're not going to make an effort to hear their voices or win their votes. They are nothing to us."

This is "good news"?! Really? The Post is irresponsible in labeling it thusly. What they should have written was, "The unfortunate news..." or "The scary news..." or "The unenlightened thinking is..." or "In a fit of laziness..."

Here's the rest of the article, if you want to read it.

*****

One thing that overwhelmingly struck me last night during Sarah Palin's nomination speech was exactly what the Washington Post reported today: the lack of diversity in the convention hall in Minnesota. During her entire speech, the cameras kept panning to the same black, Hispanic, and Asian delegates over and over. And why?

Not because they were necessarily photogenic, but because they were the only ones in the hall!

Out of all of the convention speakers at the RNC this week, only one was black (the aforementioned Michael Steele.) Out of 2,380 delegates, only 36 are black. That's not even 2% of the delegates. Two percent!

As badly as the Republican Party wants us to believe they are the party of Lincoln (and historically, they are, so you can't argue that, but philosophically they are so far off, if they had a product nutritional label, it would be a pack of lies) and representative of the American landscape, they are failing miserably.

The fact of the matter is, Rick Davis spoke more truth than he realizes: the Republican Party doesn't care and isn't going to make an effort to make every voice heard. Working to win over minorities isn't a priority for them. They're failing at it and, rather than retrenching and figuring out how to appeal to people of color beyond whatever little there is that currently appeals to blacks, Hispanics, and Asians in the Grand Old Party, they are choosing to turn tail and overtly dismiss nearly 13% of potential voters.*

To me, that's appalling. Like its candidate, the GOP is OLD and outdated. Its time has come and its days should be numbered. We are a better nation than that. Shame on Rick Davis and his campaign strategy. Shame on him.

*****

All I saw last night were pasty, pudgy white men and Stepford-ish women with the same haircuts cheering a woman they know little or nothing about.

And, while Palin certainly made her case for who she believes she is and who she wants us to believe she is, she failed to persuade.

If you want to read a detailed account of who Sarah Palin is, read this post, which is a cut-and-paste from the Washington Post's comments section earlier today.

Still think Sarah Palin is in the same league with Hillary and not a member of the old boy's network? As the poster pointed out, "the only things Sarah and Hillary have in common is their gender and their good looks."

*****

If "the kind of demographics on display at the convention" are what's going to win McCain-Palin the White House, then count me out of this country. If I wanted that demographic, I'd move back to Utah.

I want to live in and participate in an America that embraces everyone. EVERYONE.

I want to live in and participate in an America that looks like what I saw in Denver a week ago.

I want to live in and participate in an America that never, ever thinks it's okay to "cede the...vote" of any group of people for expediency's sake.

I want to live in and participate in an America that is macroscopic, not myopic.

I want to live in and participate in an America that represents the best the world has to offer in all its colors.

The world McCain-Palin and the GOP offer us is a snowy, white blank.

No thanks.


* This percentage represents approximate population for African-Americans. Nearly 35% of the American population is comprised of blacks, Hispanics, and Asians combined. That number is expected to increase and, in some states, people of color currently outnumber whites already.

Taking Responsibility

Stories like this one piss me off.

For those not wishing to read the WaPo article, here's a quick rundown: In early January, federal marshalls went to the rented home of a woman named Banita Jacks to serve an eviction notice. In the process of evicting Ms. Jacks, the badly decomposed bodies of her four children were found in an upstairs bedroom. The oldest child had been stabbed and the three younger children starved to death. The story horrified the city and Mayor Adrian Fenty launched an investigation wherein it was discovered that the city's social services mechanism had broken down and failed to alert proper government agencies to the plight of this family.

Now it seems, the family is looking to sue the city and hold it responsible for the deaths of four girls. And that's where I get pissed off.

I'm getting tired of hearing story after story after story where some young person dies--either because of neglect or violence--and the family lays the blame at the feet of the government. I can't tell you how many stories I've heard where bereaved families have said something akin to "it was the school's/social service's/health department's responsibility to look after my baby and now s/he is dead."

And that's where I say, "Whoa! Back up the train parental unit." Responsibility for the health and well-being of your child is yours and yours alone. And, in a broad, sweeping generalization I'm about to make, if you can't handle it, you need to be in closer contact with your extended family. Granted, in Ms. Jacks' case, it's been shown she wasn't mentally competent and I'm sure there are many cases with similar circumstances. But, as an extended family member, if you haven't heard from someone in a while, don't you think you should reach out to them and find out how they're doing and how you can help? If you can't or the family member won't allow you, then and only then, should you enlist the aid of government agencies whose job it then is to serve and protect its citizens--especially its voiceless ones--from harm.

Thomas Jefferson famously wrote, "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." Perhaps this is an extreme application, but one of the problems with so many in our country (and in others. There was recently a story out of the U.K. about a device that emits a sound that repels children and young adults from congregating in front of stores and certain public areas in an effort to combat loitering. The solution to that problem is a) parents need to know where their kids are and b) kids need to be home and not out loitering) is their lack of personal responsibility for the lives they bring into this world. Many of us have developed a mindset that nothing is our responsibility and we can pass the buck again and again and again without consequence to ourselves.

The family of Banita Jacks shouldn't be suing the D.C. government for failure to save her daughters. The family of Banita Jacks should be gathering together and looking inward and asking themselves, "Where did we fail in our responsibility?" and "What are we going to personally do to ensure something like this never, ever happens again?"

*****

Sickness update: SSDD. The worst part is the perpetual headache and fever I've been fighting all week. I think it's time to call the doctor.

Check All That Apply

It will be a great day when our schools
have all the money they need
and the Armed Forces
have to hold a bake sale to buy a tank.
- Seen on a bumper sticker

It's that time of year again. Every evening, I check the mailbox to see if today is the day my Double-You-Twos have arrived from the Eye.Are.Ess. Time to pick up the phone and call my tax guy to set an appointment and have him work his little miracles.

I'd like to propose a change to the tax laws, if I may. I'm not even going to get started on whether I think President Bush's tax cuts should be made permanent (no), because I have more important, groundbreaking stuff to propose here and discussing the former is just a distraction.

Here's what I'd like to propose: check boxes for where I'd like my tax dollars to go.

I've made a revised form for you, so it should be easy enough. Just click on the graphic to the left and the form should open in a new window.

Good luck!

P.S. Email me if you want it in an Adobe PDF file. Damn Blogger! Won't let you post PDFs, unless I'm missing something...

The Hypocrisy of Double Standards

I'm sure someone else more articulate and versed in the ways of politics in America has already written about this somewhere today, but the headline in the Washington Post finally pushed me over the edge.

So Hillary Clinton got a little emotional yesterday in New Hampshire. So what?

Does this make her any less qualified to be the leader of our nation?

And yet, when men in political power display tears, it's okay. Somehow it makes them sensitive leaders who are compassionate and real.

But when a woman cries, well, then she's just being emotional and overwrought. It makes her "flawed."

Oh, please!

When are we going to get out of the dark ages and stop with the sexist bullshit? Honestly, some days the lack of enlightened, civilized behavior in this country just makes me sick.


P.S. In fairness to the Post, it was a decently written article. But still... Why did it even have to be written? Would anyone note if John McCain or Fred Thompson got verklempt. Doubtful.

Saving Daylight

It's that time of year again. Daylight Time. The only upshot this year: it's later in the season than normal, which I think is nice.

But seriously, why do we continue to engage in this exercise of turning the clock back in the fall, then forward in the spring, particularly when we're neither at war (contrary to popular belief held by only the most ardent of Republicans) nor are we an agrarian society any longer (contrary to farm subsidies.)

And why we are told to set our clocks back at ungodly hours like 2:00 a.m.? I mean, does anyone actually sit up and wait for this?

Maude: Haroldddddd. Come to bed. I'm collllllld.

Harold: Hush. I'll be there shortly. It's only 1:37 a.m. Can't set all the clocks back until 2; you know that.

Seriously? No? No one? Hm. I didn't think so. I know I certainly don't. In fact, despite my disdain for the semi-annual exercise, I actually set my clocks back on Friday night when I get home from work. That way, I have all weekend to acclimate to the time change and I'm one less zombie stumbling into work all discombobulated and cranky on Monday morning.

For example, when I started writing this bit, it was 4:49 on my computer, but the clocks in my house all say 3:49, and I'm sticking to that! I know it's stupid, but this whole "fall back, spring forward" thing is even stupider.

I say we abolish Daylight Saving Time. And while we're at it, let's get rid of the IRS, George Bush, and anti-marriage initiatives, 'cause those are all stupid, too!