A Poets View

We have been experiencing frigid temperatures here in San Francisco and around the bay area.  It is not uncommon for temperatures to dive into the 20’s and 30’s in the evening and 40’s during the day.  While this is uncommon for this time of year it seems that each year brings lower temperatures.

I was watching the local news the other evening when it was reported that a school in Richmond did not have any heat.   The children in one chemistry class actually boiled water in their beakers in order to keep warm.  The heat had been off for weeks.  They were told that someone would look into the matter but nothing was ever done.

I was appalled by this situation.  These are children we are talking about here.  It’s bad enough that teachers are without the supplies that they need and have to spend their own money to buy the basics because the school districts cannot afford what classrooms need.  But to be without heat and no one is doing anything about it?

The  Governor, and I’m only using that word to describe him because I won’t use vulgarity on my blog post, over and over again cuts the schools budgets in order to balance the state budget.  When he was campaigning for and elected Governor he said that the schools were his top priority.  Is this his definition of priority?  And where is all that lottery money?  The lottery was supposed to benefit our schools.  It’s certainly not paying for the basics is it?

I just think it horrible that children have to suffer because of the idiocy of our government. 

I am an avid fan of ABC’s soap opera All My Children.  They have always been in the forefront touching on social issues.  Since the hiring of Head writer Charles Pratt we have seen more and more biting story-lines focused on today’s issues.  There is currently a story about Iraq war veterans who on a recent airing told their real life stories.  It was heartbreaking yet I felt such a sense of pride listening to these men and women.  There is also a veteran playing a role on the show.  Here is the link to a Yahoo story and Video of the real life actor and the show in which the veterans appeared.

http://spotlight.news.yahoo.com/v/10571345

Another important storyline is that of a lesbian couple with a newborn wanting to be married and all the issues that surround that particular union.

There has been controversy over this new head writer Charles Pratt.  Not all the praise is positive however,  I have to say as an avid viewer of the show for over 30 years Mr. Pratt is doing a fantastic job.  And, kudos to All My Children for being one step ahead on the issues and keeping us coming back for more.

Think About It!

Source:
By 365gay Newscenter Staff
11.10.
2008 9:40am EST
(San Francisco, California) As gays and lesbians demonstrated against the banning of same-sex marriage in California for a fifth day Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he hoped the California Supreme Court would overturn the measure.

Speaking on CNN Sunday, the governor called passage of the constitutional amendment “unfortunate … but it’s not the end.
”

“I think that we will again maybe undo that, if the court is willing to do that, and then move forward from there and again lead in that area,” Schwarzenegger said.

The governor spoke out against the amendment during the campaign. In April, at the national convention of the Log Cabin Republicans, the nation’s largest gay Republican group, in San Diego, he said for the first time he opposed the measure, but predicted it would not get voter approval.

The measure succeeded, however, with a slim margin. LGBT rights groups immediately petitioned the California Supreme Court to overturn it on the grounds the measure is invalid, because the initiative process was improperly used in an attempt to undo the constitution’s core commitment to equality for everyone, by eliminating a fundamental right from just one group – lesbian and gay Californians.

The petition also says that Proposition 8 improperly attempts to prevent the courts from exercising their essential constitutional role of protecting the equal protection rights of minorities.

Appearing on CNN, Schwarzenegger urged gays not to give up in the fight for marriage equality.

“They should never give up. They should be on it and on it until they get it done,” he said.

That is a marked change from his earlier positions on gay marriage. Legislation to legalize same-sex marriage passed the California legislature twice and each time Schwarzenegger vetoed the bills, saying that the courts, or the people through a plebiscite, should decide the issue.

The California Supreme Court ruled in May that it was unconstitutional to ban gays and lesbians from marrying. Opponents immediately began work on Prop 8.

Supporters of same-sex marriage demonstrated Sunday at a number of churches across the state. Evangelical Christians, the Roman Catholic Church and the Mormon Church actively supported passage of Prop 8.

Carrying signs that read “You Cannot Vote Away Civil Rights,” hundreds protested in front of the Saddleback Church, an Orange County mega-church.

In Oakland, demonstrators crowded onto a roadway in front of a Mormon temple, prompting the California Highway Patrol to close off an exit ramp, because they feared some demonstrators could be hit by traffic.

Thousands of others demonstrated against the amendment in front of the state Capitol in Sacramento.

On Saturday, 10,000 supporters of gay marriage took to the streets in Los Angeles. Another 10,000 demonstrated in San Diego.

On Friday, tensions flared at a vigil at Palm Springs City Hall, when a supporter of the gay marriage ban carrying a plastic foam cross clashed with protesters, according to The Desert Sun. The crowd ripped the cross from her hands and stomped on it. Police made no arrests.

About 2,000 people gathered in Long Beach Friday night and there were three arrests. A thousand people also marched Friday in San Francisco.

http://www.365gay.com/news/schwarzenegger-hopes-calif-supreme-court-overturns-anti-gay-amendment/

First I want to express how deeply sorry I am at the tragedy that took place in the Hudson household.  I can’t even imagine how devastating it must be to lose a Mother, Brother and have a nephew missing all at the same time.  My thoughts, prayers and condolences go out to the entire family.

It was reported that Chicago, where these murders took place has the highest number of murders this year above any other state in the country.  However we all have our problems with guns.  I’ve seen first hand what guns can do.  Working as a teller in a bank years ago I was held up with a gun.  A few years later while working in that same bank on Market street, some crazy walked into the building up onto the fourth floor and decided to kill his wife and take hundreds of people hostage.  The police had the building surrounded and we could not leave until they captured the killer.  I was meeting a friend for lunch one day down the financial district when shots rang out at the 101 California buidling and the entire area was cordoned off until the murderer, after shooting hostages killed himself.  These are just a few examples of what guns do and what I’ve seen first hand.  There are so many more.

I can just hear the conservatives saying it’s not the guns it’s the people who pull the triggers.  My argument is if we did not allow guns these tragedies wouldn’t be taking place.  Granted there would still be some illegal gun activity however the majority of crimes would drastically decrease.  WE NEED GUN CONTROL IN THIS COUNTRY.  I don’t give a rats you know what about us all having the right to carry guns for protection.  There is no other purpose for guns other than killing.  And for all you hunters out there, and yes you too Ms. gun toting hockey Mom, you should not be out there hunting and killing animals either.  I’d like to ask the NRA and everyone in favor of them, how would you feel if one of your loved ones was murdered with a gun?  I want someone to please give me a rational answer to why it is we need guns.  I don’t want to hear it’s a constitutional right and I don’t want to hear because we need them for protection because both of those statements don’t fly with me at all.  They’re just excuses to carry guns.  Give me a good reason.

Proposition 8 would eliminate the right for gay and lesbian couples here in California to get married. I always hear the argument that allowing homosexual couples to be married threatens marriage between heterosexuals.  My question is, how exactly are straight couples threatened? Even our presidential nominees are not in favor of gay marriage.  They’ll tell you they support recognizing rights of visitations in the hospital etc… but when it comes down to it they do not support marriage.  I just don’t understand why. Are our elected officials against gay marriage because of the bible?  If so, where is the separation between Church and state?  To be honest I’m sick of everyone quoting the bible when it comes to issues such as these.   

According to the right wing conservatives God is all about love.  If this is true then why the hate mongering?  They call homosexuality a sin – an abomination.  Let’s think about that for a minute.  I’ll try not to be graphic here and get my point out to all of you.  They say it’s the “acts” that are an abomination.  Well, correct me if I’m wrong here but heterosexuals partake in some of these same acts.  So why an abomination for some and not the other? 

The fact of the matter is that we all or most of us grew up in households where homosexuality was considered wrong and some where we were taught it was a sin.  Because of that fact, we never tried to understand it or consider that people are just people.  And, as a result, we are fearful of what we don’t understand.  It’s not difficult. 

We all fall in love at some point in time in our life.  We don’t choose who to fall in love with – it just happens.  What’s wrong with two people, whether the same sex or not being in love?  They should absolutely have the same rights as heterosexuals and be allowed to get married just like the rest of us. 

Any thoughts on this?

On the ballot in November is proposition 4 which basically says medical facilities would have to notify the parents of teenagers seeking abortions.  If for some reason the teenager does not want their parent to be notified then an adult family member notification would be allowed providing the teenager can prove that by telling her parents she feels she would be abused.  It’s geared towards protecting the girl and at the same time making sure she is provided with the best care possible. 

Now while I am all in favor of a woman being able to choose and do what’s right for her particular situation I am in favor of proposition 4.  I think teenagers need to have an adult advise and help them decide what would be best.  Teenagers are too young to make an informed decision.  They need the wisdom only an adult can provide.  Being a teenager normally is difficult enough with all of the emotional baggage and adding pregnancy to the mix I think would be devastating.  As a result they are not clear headed enough to make a wise choice.  They need to rely on an adult to help them during this difficult time. The argument against this is that the teenage girl would be afraid to tell parents or relatives and therefore get a  dangerous “back alley” abortion or even worse commit suicide.  I think that is a little extreme.   

This measure I think is also a good argument for teaching sex education at an earlier age in schools.  Parents are not always comfortable teaching their children about sex.  Prevention needs to be taught and provided.  If the parents are unwilling to provide their children with the necessary education to keep them safe then by all means schools should shoulder the burden.  It’s a matter of safety and prevention.  

I do believe each person’s right to choose but in this case teenagers are just too young.   Your thoughts? 

Read more about prop 4 here.