Video Tidbits:

Franken on the SCOTUS

Waters – Public Option was a compromise

Former Cigna Exec on Michael Moore

Hillary

Racism

In my opinion, racism, many times is not a word or words, but a feeling, an outcome of an encounter that you believe race played a part in. It is not something easily proved. The same goes for sexism and homophobia. That is why it is so difficult for victims of the isms to verbalize and therefore prove what has happened to them. To not understand that many times the isms are not always words or a particular action, is not being open to the reality. Sometimes we have to understand that it just IS. The unprovability is the reason racism, sexism, homophobia exists in this country to this very day. Because if you could prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, no one would partake in it. Yes, there is race baiting that goes on as well, but that does not negate the fact that racism exists. As a white women, I can take my own life experiences of the treatment I have received because I am a woman and extrapolate to any other discriminated group. I can’t prove sexism all the time. It is a feeling, but you know when it happens to you. Does that make me crazy? Am I reading into things? I don’t think so.

So when we look to the Gates issue, we must keep in mind that our experiences filter how we view the situation. But more importantly we must keep in mind how the experiences of the actual participants have played into the situation. To ask Professor Gates to prove that he was not discriminated against because of the color of his skin is a very unfair thing to do. We do not know what was in Crowley’s heart and mind, but we do know that Professor Gates felt he was a victim of racism. But he can’t prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt. There were no racial epithets slurred, but that is not and cannot be the only pre requisite to feel racism, can it?

So now comes along a Boston Police Officer, who thought he was anonymous, who sent an extremely racist letter about the Gates incident to the Boston Globe and his friends. Here is a local news report:

You can find the text of the entire email here. I have it posted, but you can enlarge at the link if you are having a hard time reading it.

I am curious to know, what if it was Police Officer Justin Barret who responded to that call at the Gates residence? What if things went down exactly the same way? How would the conversation look?

When I answer these questions I find the reasons why I can’t criticize Professor Gates. Racism exists, it’s not always in your face, but it is there just the same and sometimes the outcomes are life changing and/or devastating, for real.

Morning Widdershins: Lez Me be Straight with You

I stumbled upon this gem of a picture today-posted to the right. It is a caricature of then Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano shortly after she had voiced her opposition to DADT. This homophobic burlesque was prefaced by an equally homophobic and misogynistic headline: Governor Janet Napolitano (a.k.a., “Manet”) Criticizes Don’t Ask, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. And then the triple whammy comes right after the caricature: “Damnit, Manet, won’t you ever come out?” This is of course a reference to the line “Damnit, Janet” from the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Napolitano said the problem with the 14-year-old “Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell” policy is it focuses all the attention on someone’s fitness to serve on sexual orientation. But the governor, who also is commander of the Arizona National Guard, said that misses the point.

“To me, you ought to be focused on are the people there and are they doing their job,” she said. “And Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell, to me, that doesn’t tell you that.” Instead, she said the focus should be on ensuring that solders can do their jobs.

Napolitano said the Arizona Guard is being called on to do many things. She said there are about 1,500 soldiers serving in Iraq, with close to 500 more stationed along the U.S-Mexican border. “And so we’re really calling on our Guard, men and women, to do a lot of different functions,” she said.

Napolitano’s comments come just a day after the Human Rights Campaign brought several former members of the military to Phoenix to tell how the policy forced them out. The organization, which lobbies on behalf of civil rights for gays, is hoping to build pressure for repeal through a city-by-city tour.

That’s right. You read that last portion correctly. Napolitano’s comments came days after the Human Rights Campaign brought several members of the military to….” Old the good old days when the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) didn’t have their heads so far up Obama’s ass that they actually organized campaigns. This is not the HRC I knew!

I bring all this up to remind HRC that they have abandoned one of their biggest allies as well as one of the biggest players in the fight against Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. It may be time that you stop focusing your energy on Defense Secretary Gates and President Obama and remember Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. Her position plays a prominent role in H.R. 1283. She is the counterweight between both the aforementioned dicks.

“Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2009 – Repeals current Department of Defense (DOD) policy concerning homosexuality in the Armed Forces. Prohibits the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy, from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation against any member of the Armed Forces or any person seeking to become a member. Authorizes the re-accession into the Armed Forces of otherwise qualified individuals previously separated for homosexuality, bisexuality, or homosexual conduct. Requires such Secretaries to ensure that regulations governing the personal conduct of members of the Armed Forces are written and enforced without regard to sexual orientation.”

Step away from those cocktails at the White House, HRC, and write a letter to reintroduce yourselves to your long lost friend. And while you’re at it, let Janet know that if the press comes after her like they did when she spoke out against DADT in AZ that you will have her back and condemn any and all misogynistic assaults against her. Surely you must know that the MSM and Far Right will come after her for speaking out against DADT on the national scene as well. (If you have been paying attention to sexism that is.)

You know what? Scratch that. I think Anuradha Bhagwati, executive director of Service Women’s Action Network should have the privilege instead. Maybe it will be Anuradha that gets to join Napolitano at any or all hearings that the House Armed Services Committee will hold when the fight to repeal DADT really hits the fan. After all former Marine officer Bhagwati has a few details to share that I don’t hear HRC bring out too often.

Women make up just 15 percent of the military, she said, but about 50 percent of the servicemembers discharged under “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” are women and black women are discharged at three times the rate of others.

UPDATE: I’m going to eat a little crow, but not too much, about HRC not working with women to help get DADT overturned. They did join with SWAN (Service Women’s Action Network) on July 27th to start a national campaign.