A little pride

Today Manhattan was filled with pride. Gay pride. All over downtown Manhattan women in love with women and men in love with men walked the streets holding hands and waiving rainbow flags. Of course, not everybody shared in the pride. A few of my friends and I were walking down St. Marks street when one of the people in our group was called a fag. I turned around to say and do nasty things with my fingers and mouth- all actions were completely warranted. The girl, should I say woman, who called my acquaintance the epithet, seemed to be very young, white, and had green hair. "Really?" I thought to myself, "a very young lady in the middle of a very alternative street in Manhattan (FULL OF GOTHS AND PUNKS) calling somebody a fag?"

Things just haven't changed enough.

Aren't young people more enlightened by now? Was that girl angry at the world and the only way she knew how to show her discontent was to call somebody an offensive name? Fuck it. If this happens in Manhattan, what the hell can we expect from places in the Midwest? Now more than ever we need to show people that being a bigot is never acceptable. Now more than ever we need allies, people who are willing to stand up for what's right. No excuses. Show no fucking fear. Do not tolerate this kind of behavior from anyone even if it isn't you who the bigot(s) is insulting.

I know this is cheesy... to some, but it's relevant. Read it. You need it. I need it to remind myself that if I don't take action things could be worse. That if I don't speak up for somebody who's down then who will speak up for me when I'm down? Who will speak up/stand up for my loved ones when they need it most?

In Germany they first came for the Communists
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up.

--The Reverend Martin Niemöller, a pastor in the German Confessing Church who spent seven years in a concentration camp.

Obama's VP

Bold Move:
I think Obama should get someone who used to be an undocumented alien for his VP candidate. It would be the surest way of showing that 1) the American dream is possible 2) millions are people are becoming tax-paying hard working citizens 3) people break the law because of the necessity of trying to feed a family 4) and to completely re-shift the conversation about immigration that flares up in the Midwest and the South.

Find some hard-working formerly undocumented alien who is now a millionaire American citizen with beautiful wife and kids; or someone who is now a successful, resourceful politician from California. Even better, find someone from Arizona and take the argument straight to McCain in his home turf.

Let's face it: Obama ain't going to win the rabid anti-immigration crowd in some areas of the country because many of these people are angry not because of immigrants but because of the race of the people coming in to the country. These people are highly unlikely to vote for him any way. It would also force Central American/Mexican/South American and Caribbean immigrants who are the flooding the country to take a side. They are the future. Better to have them break hard to the left for the Dems.

Take the argument straight to the Republicans. Make them regret every bringing it up as a campaign ploy in 2006.

Undocumented 4 VP.