Essay Ally

            While the nation continues to argue over the outcome of the vote on Proposition 8 in California and criticizes Florida and Arizona for passing similar referendums (are we really surprised about Arizona?), the passing of Arkansas’ proposition to forbid unmarried co-habitated couples from adopting or fostering children has gone widely unnoticed.            From the New York Times’ Dan Savage:

That state’s Proposed Initiative Act No. 1, approved by nearly 57 percent of voters last week, bans people who are “cohabitating outside a valid marriage” from serving as foster parents or adopting children. While the measure bans both gay and straight members of cohabitating couples as foster or adoptive parents, the Arkansas Family Council wrote it expressly to thwart “the gay agenda.” Right now, there are 3,700 other children across Arkansas in state custody; 1,000 of them are available for adoption. The overwhelming majority of these children have been abused, neglected or abandoned by their heterosexual parents.

Even before the law passed, the state estimated that it had only about a quarter of the foster parents it needed. Beginning on Jan. 1, a grandmother in Arkansas cohabitating with her opposite-sex partner because marrying might reduce their pension benefits is barred from taking in her own grandchild; a gay man living with his male partner cannot adopt his deceased sister’s children.

Social conservatives are threatening to roll out Arkansas-style adoption bans in other states. And the timing couldn’t be worse: in tough economic times, the numbers of abused and neglected children in need of foster care rises. But good times or bad, no movement that would turn away qualified parents and condemn children to a broken foster care system should be considered “pro-family.”

Most ominous, once “pro-family” groups start arguing that gay couples are unfit to raise children we might adopt, how long before they argue that we’re unfit to raise those we’ve already adopted? If lesbian couples are unfit to care for foster children, are they fit to care for their own biological children?

The loss in California last week was heartbreaking. But what may be coming next is terrifying.

            I really don’t have anything additional to add from this op-ed because I believe Dan Savage is right on the money here.  Worse than failing to give the right to gays to marry, we are taking away their ability to legally adopt or foster children who desperately need a stable and loving home.  In tough economic times, some sort of phony absolute Christian morality is taking priority over what I know to be right.  Perhaps my secular humanism is getting the better of me, but shouldn’t we be demonstrating true concern over the well-being of children, in contrast to the feigned concern the LDS have used to push their anti-gay agendas?

There has been a lot of talk about what to do with the current administration. Should the tradition of Presidential Pardons be upheld? Some say that this is the worst presidency and our country is in the worst shape that it has ever been.

I would love to see the Bushes and Cheneys of this world in stocks in our public square but I am not sure it is the best move.

While we probably have enough of a majority now that we can push whatever agenda we want, that sort of vindictive behavior is not going to help our cause.

Let’s put more stringent regulations and accountability in place, punish the Ken Lays of the economic crisis, and make sure that no Bush ever gets elected again. We need to make the wealthy lobbyists and supporters of the regime insignificant enough in influence that they are no longer relevant in politics . Make life better for the working class and help them realize their folly in being a sucker to the propaganda that Bushians have used to manipulate them into doing their bidding.

Losing relevancy is more than enough punishment for those bastards.

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You’ve probably heard on the news or read somewhere by now that Starbucks plans on closing 600 “underperforming” locations and will only open about 400 new locations in the next year or so. The news is stating this like it is some sort of tragedy. But let’s examine this for a moment.

How many stores does Starbucks actually have? Over 15,000 as of November of last year including their joint ventures with places like Barnes and Noble. That’s a lot of coffee houses. And Starbucks portrays themselves as earth-friendly, consumer-friendly, and an allaround warm and fuzzy experience. But it’s just another corporate beast.

People might like the slightly over roasted and highly addictive extra-caffeinated coffee’s bitter aftertaste, but it’s average coffee at an above average price. The fad is starting to pass. Mom and pop coffee shops are so much better. And I personally prefer Caribou Coffee when it comes to coffee chains. I’m not going to lose a wink of sleep over them closing a few stores (less than 1.5% after they open the other new stores). The economy is in the crapper and I’m happy to see some corporations struggle as much as the common man is.

Will you miss Starbucks?

An interesting use of microsoft clip art:

Please don’t hesitate to respond accordingly . . .

    There really isn’t much point in me writing a journal to extol the virtues of Barack Obama.  You can find thousands of them on facebook, myspace, and any other popular web media out there.  And there really isn’t anyone reading my blog anyway.

This isn’t a self-pity rant, but once again, I’m a realist.  I burn people and nobody really cares what I am doing these days, so why would they be interested in reading about my life?   I am ok with this fact, but I just wanted to say ‘Yay for Obama!’ because he is the first candidate to whom  I donated money and I feel like he has a shot at becoming our next president.

Incidentally, I am seriously considering attending his inauguration with my mother and any other family/friends who would like to attend.  If you feel interested when January rolls around, I have a really uncomfortable fold-out couch, and lots of floor space.  It could be fun. . .  And you’ll be  a part of history.  I’ll broadcast this again in January.

So donate to Obama, register to vote, and please, please, stop wasting your time at my blog.