No Islamic Community Center at Ground Zero?

As this piece in the NYT points out, some of the estimated 60 Muslims who were killed on 9/11 were praying in the Muslim prayer room that existed on the 17th floor of the south tower:

Given the vitriolic opposition now to the proposal to build a Muslim community center two blocks from ground zero, one might say something else has been destroyed: the realization that Muslim people and the Muslim religion were part of the life of the World Trade Center.

Dalai Lama Statement on Cage Free Eggs

(dated August 26, 2010) Click to embiggen.

Context

Please read carefully:

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.
[...]
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. [...] Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

Inciting a race war?












Unedited excerpt from Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech:

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

In Memoriam: Photos of My Grandmother

My grandmother recently died and I wanted to share a few photos of her:


Grandma and kids, Easter Sunday 1957


My Aunt Chick, Grandma in a bikini (!), and my Dad


Grandma with my Dad


Grandma with Blitz

Alvin Greene: Man of Mystery, Man with 59% of the Vote

OK Alvin Greene, you are SC's only hope to knock off Jim DeMint in November. Say something smart!

"I wasn’t surprised, but not really. I mean, just a little, but not much. I knew I was on top of my campaign, and just stayed on top of everything, I just—I wasn't surprised that much, just a little. I knew that I worked hard and did."

Right. What?

Greene frequently spoke in rapid-fire, fragmentary sentences, repeating certain phrases or interrupting himself multiple times during the same sentence while he searched for the right words. But he was emphatic about certain aspects of his candidacy, insisting that details about his campaign organization, for instance, weren't relevant. "I'm not concentrating on how I was elected—it's history. I’m the Democratic nominee—we need to get talking about America back to work, what's going on, in America."

Details about his campaign organization are not relevant. M'kaaaay. How about details of - oh let's say, anything? Where do you stand on reproductive rights for women or marriage equality or offshore drilling? And do you know what all of those things mean?

I'm sorry but there is something rotten in Denmark, the fish rots from the head down, insert your favorite rotting phrase here. This is beyond the standard McCain-has-a-sekrit-black-baby SC political fare. I hope SC's political journos and pajama bloggers have got their thinking caps on. Cause this ain't right.

Election Day in SC - Primary

Basic election info for SC - Polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

2010 Democratic candidates for SC (pdf)

Governor:

Jim Rex

• State Education Superintendent
• Supports reproductive rights for women
• Opposes oil drilling off SC coast but supports drilling for natural gas
• Twitter: @jimrex

Vincent Sheheen

• State Senator
• Does not commit to being for or against reproductive rights but says he wants to "reduce abortions" and is personally against
  
• Opposes oil drilling off SC coast but supports drilling for natural gas
• Twitter: @vincentsheheen

Robert Ford

• State Senator
• Supports reproductive rights for women
• Supports offshore drilling for oil & gas in SC
• Supports school vouchers
• Wants to "save" SC with video poker
  

Senate:

Vic Rawl - The Best Senate Candidate You've Probably Never Heard Of

• Supports reproductive rights for women
• Supports repeal of DADT
• Twitter: @Rawl4Senate

Alvin Greene - A Phantom Candidate?

GOP Unleashes the Hate on Rep. Spratt

Rep. John Spratt (D-SC) recently announced he has early stage Parkinson's disease and will run for a 15th term. Yesterday the National Republican Congressional Committee released a hatriotic statement regarding the Representative:

The statement calls the 67-year-old House Budget Committee chairman “Amnesiac John Spratt” and contained six bold-lettered allegations that he's forgetting what's happening in Washington.

"After 28 years in Washington, John Spratt's memory is failing him,” it began. He “can't even recall what Obamacare does … Now — worst of all — it seems he's completely forgotten who he works for.”

Oh GOP, your Mom must be so proud.

Andy Sere, a spokesman for the Republican committee, said the statement was not a swipe at Spratt's health. Asked for a similar statement criticizing another Democrat, he couldn't cite another example so heavily focused on a congressman's memory.

As rationale for the criticism, Sere noted a recent comment from Spratt that it is sometimes difficult to remember which provisions were in the different versions of the massive health care bill.

"Sometimes difficult to remember" details of lengthy legislative proposals totally equals "amnesiac". And what's that you say, he has Parkinson's? We had no idea and of course this statement is not in any way related to that.

Contribute to Rep. Spratt's re-election campaign here.

It Was 20 Years Ago Today

In loving memory of Jim Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990)

Walk, Don't Run When God Calls

Father William Ventura, 31, has this advice for young men considering priesthood:

If you hear the Lord calling you to be a priest, don’t wait to respond!

Or maybe, think for like half a sec to see if you actually want to be a priest or if you just want to get hookers:

A Chelmsford priest was arrested in a prostitution sting at a New Hampshire hotel after police say he responded to an ad on Craigslist.

The Boston Archdiocese said Tuesday that William Ventura has voluntarily accepted a leave of absence and been barred from public ministry until the case is concluded through the court system.

Bristol Palin Advocating for Teen Abstinence

courtesy of Bill Hicks:

I'd quit smoking if I didn't think I'd become one of them [obnoxious, self-righteous nonsmokers]. . . . I'm smoking and you come up coughing at me. Jesus! You go up to crippled people dancin', too, you fucks? "Well, hey, Mr. Wheelchair. What's you're problem? Come on, Ironside. Race ya!" You fucking sadist. I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die. Deal? Thank you, America.

The Late and Super Great Bill Hicks

We are big Bill Hicks fans around here. Recently, Billy came across this writing and I wanted to post it here. It's one of those things that's kinda nice to read, anytime:

Despite his illness, Bill was at peace. He spent time with his parents, playing them the music he loved and showing them documentaries about his interests. He called friends to say goodbye and re-read J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Fellowship Of The Ring.

On February 7th, 1994, Bill wrote his last words to the world:

I was born William Melvin Hicks on December 16, 1961 in Valdosta, Georgia. Ugh. Melvin Hicks from Georgia. Yee Har! I already had gotten off to life on the wrong foot. I was always “awake,” I guess you’d say. Some part of me clamoring for new insights and new ways to make the world a better place.

All of this came out years down the line, in my multitude of creative interests that are the tools I now bring to the Party. Writing, acting, music, comedy. A deep love of literature and books. Thank God for all the artists who’ve helped me. I’d read these words and off I went – dreaming my own imaginative dreams. Exercising them at will, eventually to form bands, comedy, more bands, movies,anything creative. This is the coin of the realm I use in my words – Vision.

On June 16, 1993 I was diagnosed with having “liver cancer that had spread from the pancreas.” One of life’s weirdest and worst jokes imaginable. I’d been making such progress recently in my attitude, my career and realizing my dreams that it just stood me on my head for a while. “Why me!?” I would cry out, and “Why now!?”

Well, I know now there may never be any answers to those particular questions, but maybe in telling a little about myself, we can find some other answers to other questions. That might help our way down our own particular paths, towards realizing my dream of New Hope and New Happiness. Amen.

I left in love, in laughter, and in truth and wherever truth, love and laughter abide, I am there in spirit.

On Saturday, February 26th, 1994, Bill died. He was 32.

Astroturf Asses

Way to prey on women's fears of breast cancer and death, teabaggers.

I'm Pretty Sure This is Some Form of Russian Mind Control

Deets.

Johnny Weir Skating to 'Poker Face'

How Not to Help in Haiti

Nobody wants your old shoes.

The Sad State of the Health Care Debate

I am the uninsured. I have a job and pay taxes but my employer doesn't offer benefits. I have no access to health care except what I can afford to pay for out of pocket. And that ain't much.

When I can't get to sleep at night, I wonder if I have breast cancer or diabetes or some other treatable disease which could be detected if I could afford to get preventive medical care. But then I know too that even if something was detected, I could not afford to pay for treatment anyway. So I just lie in bed and hope for the best.

Meanwhile my Senator, Jim DeMint, participated in a "Prayercast" this week to ask Jesus to intervene and make sure I get no access to health care. Even if it's just a tiny shitty bit of health care reform, DeMint wants Jesus to stop me from getting it. Although I'm not a Christian, I do believe in many of the teachings attributed to Jesus and from what I understand, he was into helping the sick and the poor, not stomping them into the dirt. Maybe DeMint and friends are praying to some other Jesus - some guy whose fundamental message is "I've got mine, sucks being you", I don't know.

At any rate, the bottom line for me is this: The uninsured are dying every day due to lack of health care. We have no choice but to humbly accept any bone Congress tosses us because otherwise, you know - the death thing. So even though the Senate bill sounds pretty crummy and falls terribly short of expectations - yeah, I want that. Because it's something. And when you have nothing, something sounds pretty appealing. And I'm willing to work on future campaigns to try and elect people who pledge to improve health care for all Americans.

Don't get me wrong, I want the best we can possibly get right now. But whatever that turns out to be, I'm willing to take it because I have no other options. I know that if we don't get something now, it's going to be a long time before we have another chance. Too many of us will have needlessly died by then. We can't wait.

Word

Yesterday afternoon we had C-SPAN on while the clerk was reading the 767 page Sanders Amendment. C-SPAN puts up bits of info on the screen to keep viewers abreast of what's going on. At the time Billy came in, the onscreen info was flipping between two messages:

Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) requested the Sanders Amendment be read into the record.
and
Senator Coburn has left the building.

Billy, who doesn't normally get excited about political sausage making, saw that and exclaimed, "That man should be fired - immediately!".

War on Xmas List

I thought it might be easier for everyone if I just post my Xmas list offa Craigslist. In no particular order:

• You know I like torn butts and I can not lie
• I don't usually send in for warranties anyway
• Of course I want something involving the dogs
• I'm not sure if this refers to Iraq or Afghanistan but I want
• I def want to be buried in a zombie casket
• This might be a metaphorical paintball gun, but I still want it
• Us child prodigies gotsta stick together

Veterans Day

Is this the best we can do for our vets?

• 6 preventable deaths a day among veterans due to lack of health insurance
• Vets make up 1/3 of adult homeless male population
• Sen. Coburn (R-OK) is preventing a bill designed to increase health services for vets from coming to the floor for a vote

Two Cents on Prejean's Sex Tape

Here's the thing: If Carrie Prejean had been your average Jane, I would be defending her right to make a masturbation tape and shouting down anyone who tried to smear her for it. Live and let live, you know. But she changed the equation when she went all holier-than-thou on the LGBT community. She could tell others how to live because she had been taught Christian values from the Bible. She knew what was best for everybody else because she herself was a pillar of Jesusy virtue. So I say, suck it Prejean. Or maybe you already did. On video.