Daily Archives: 10/16/2010

(Community Matters)

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(Community Matters)

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(Community Matters) For those who don’t think President Obama is mindful of the horrible, hateful bullying endured by our LGBT youth, please read the below posting on Towleroad.  These were remarks given at a Town Hall meeting. My own parents, who love me and support me without question, couldn’t cite such specifics, and they are retired, not fighting two wars, and virtually fighting another against Republicans who’d rather he fail than our own country prosper, all while running the most powerful country in the world.

I’ve had no doubt that President Obama cares deeply about all children, youth and Americans – including LGBT Americans. I hope these citations help some others understand he does care and does follow and does prioritize our issues.  I don’t mean to incite debates about what hasn’t already been accomplished (though I believe a lot, more than ever before, and yet, not enough)

Q    Hello, my name is Allie Vonparis (ph).  I’m a junior at University of Maryland in College Park and also — this is more of a personal question — but I’m also a victim of anonymous, hurtful, degrading harassment over the Internet.  Police and university officials have been unable to help put a stop to it.  My question to you is, what can you do, if anything, to put a stop to these vicious attacks over the Internet while preserving our rights to freedom of speech?  I also ask this in light of the recent — the tragic deaths recently on the news of young people who are bullied and harassed online.  Thank you.

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(Community Matters) “The son of Tcheckoslovaquian immigrants in Germany, Rudolf Brazda was 20 when Hitler rose to power. He had lived his homosexuality freely and openly until the law penalizing homosexuality, the notorious “Paragraph 175″, was toughened by the Nazi regime. On August 8, 1942, after having gone to prison twice, he was sent to the concentration camp of Buchenwald, where he was given the number 7952, and a pink triangle. Even though Buchenwald wasn’t an extermination camp, an estimated 56.000 prisoners (out of the 238.000 who were incarcerated) died in the camp, either because they were executed or from exhaustion or illness.”

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(Community Matters) real time: at a Marfa Public Radio event with NPR’s John Burnett speaking about what’s happening south of the border – a place he says is as dangerous for journalists as *anywhwere* in the world.

Referencing a rancher who says shoot first, “I’d rather be judged by 12 than killed by 6.”

In Juarez , which some call the most murderous city in the world – an average of 12 homicides a day. A colorful story about his Canadian journalist friend and public urination – 8 police show up, gathering evidence but can’t pursue murders.

Cities in Mexico which are virtually under lock down by the cartels. They run city hall and the local newspapers – even in cities of up to a million citizens.

Federal customs collected at a bridge are set by a cartel and delivered to a cartel.

In Nuevo Laredo, they rolled a grenade into a newsroom.

Newspapers all over Mexico are begging to know what do the cartels demand, what can they say or not say. The six drug cartels rule.

Still some safe places: Mx City, Oaxaca, parts of Yucatan

These cartels serve the US drug consumption. Everywhere you effectively attack the cartels, it’s like cutting a snake and it becomes many – just more violent and less predictable. You can’t understand Mexico’s trauma without understanding the corruption from the police to the national security forces. John believes Pres Calderon sincerely fighting but corruption has cooped his own forces.

Pornography of violence. It’s as if Hannibal Lecter were directing the scenes – the theatricality of violence. Utter impunity – you’ve bought the police. The women in Juarez who were murdered, we now know it was completely about recreational violence by the police. The Zetas came from Mexican special forces and are particularly violent.

Double standards. American journalists – like being in Baghdad, must be a spy and a journalist. There are lookouts everywhere – taxis, at taquerias, in hotels.

What’s happening in Mexico is scaring that country for a very long time. All about business, about marketshare and access to US points of entry. Though, worried about authority and rule of law completely dissolving.

Organized crime in Mexico is endemic and growing everywhere. Extortion of business is the norm – “or they will cut your bartenders head off.” Now, it is not just the cartels, but start up gangs are terrorizing the population. Is Mexico a failed state? John doesn’t think it is. 14th largest economy in the country. They deliver mail, run elections, educate children. But, there are failed cities. Spilling over? It is in Hamilton but not in El Paso.

Eugene thinks Pres Obama ought to send black helicopters & special forces to teach the Falcon Lake gangs a lesson – never, ever cross this line.

Posted from my blackberry

(Community Matters)

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(Community Matters) This nugget from my friend David Gail in Dallas

Jonathan Singer:

GOP Suffering Enthusiasm Gap Among Early Voters

Last month I wrote about the potential that early voting might help the Democrats overcome the much-discussed “enthusiasm gap,” because although an unenthusiastic voter might skip going to the polls on election day they might get cajoled to turn in a ballot if harangued over the course of a couple of weeks. Judging by the early numbers, it seems as though this dynamic may in fact be playing out much to the Democrats’ advantage. First the numbers out of Ohio, per professor Michael McDonald:

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(Community Matters) Steven and I arrived last night, departing Austin after lunch, after most of the EF Fall Service Day (400 high tech employees sprucing up various parts of Zilker Park – thx PwC, our sponsors).

Just the 6+ hour drive is a vacation for us – together & relatively undistracted (only 3 conference calls btwn us), stopping by Rather Sweets in Fredericksburg (saw Rebecca who said the Austonian deal didn’t work out so no she’s not opening a shop in Austin 😦 ).

We took the Balmorhea way in to Marfa, through Ft Davis, stopping off at Joni & Tim Powers for a quick drink and appetizers.  Home sweet home – well, we call it our adopted home.  Steven pretty beat so early to bed (ughh, hope he’s not getting the cold/flu I had), and I went out for a late bite.  Had a late dinner with Tom & Tochi at their star rated bistro, Cochineal. Janie & Dick DeGuerian dining there too as well the new director of Chinati, Thomas Kellein, and his family

This am a quiet morning with ST, shopped the farmer’s market, running into Julie & Fran, Valerie & Robert, Rob W, LouAnn & Ganka.

Have a Marfa Public Radio board meeting this afternoon, then a fundraiser this evening.  There’s little better than a few days r&r with my hubby in this highland desert.

(Community Matters) In the LA Times

“Clinton told thousands of listeners at an evening rally at UCLA that they bear responsibility for the nation’s future. ‘It is not enough to have voted for a new president if you will not help him govern and stick behind the members of Congress who stood for him,’ Clinton said as a light drizzle began to fall. ‘I am pleading with you, you need to go out and tell everyone who is not here tonight that any college student in the state of California that doesn’t vote in this election is committing malpractice on your own future.'”

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-1016-governor-20101016,0,1794623.story

(Community Matters) My absolutely favorite house in Austin with the very best kitchen in the world.  I’d buy it if my husband would let me

100 E Canyon Cr

it’s the last home world renowned architect Charles Moore designed

well, there’s the bit about whether I could afford it . . .

(Community Matters) his editorial, How Religion is Killing Our Most Vulnerable Youth

An increasingly popular bumper sticker reads, “Guns Don’t Kill People — RELIGION Kills People!” In light of recent events I would add religion kills young people: gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender young people.

Perhaps not directly, though. And religion is certainly not the only source of anti-gay sentiment in the culture. But it’s hard to deny that religious voices denouncing LGBT people contribute to the atmosphere in which violence against LGBT people and bullying of LGBT youth can flourish.

The news is filled with the tragedies of teenaged boys who were gay and decided to end their living hell by committing suicide. Maybe they weren’t even gay, but merely perceived to be by their peers, who harassed, taunted, and threatened them unmercifully.

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