I'm Sexy And I Know It

There are not words... I love it!

Equality

It's actually taken me almost an hour to write this post... I've spent a lot of time trying to collect my thoughts.

Today the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Proposition 8, stating it "works a meaningful harm to gays and lesbians" by denying their right to civil marriage in violation of the 14th Amendment. By no means is this the end - there will likely be endless appeals, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.

Here's the deal people. We live in the United States of America, a country whose foundation is built on liberty and justice for all. That means even if you don't agree with that liberty (same sex marriage, abortion, smoking, etc), our laws protect you. The minute that we allow one person or group of people to start taking those liberties away just because they disagree means that our country is on a slippery downward slope.

My friend Sean put it perfectly today. He simply asked if Proposition 8 were about interracial marriage instead of gay marriage, would you be speaking out against it? Most people would probably say no.Yet, not so long ago, we took rights away from those who had a skin color different than our own. I would hope that we learned our lesson from 50s and 60s.

Then we get into the emotional side of the argument - the groups out there that are just uncomfortable by gay couples. I happen to know a lesbian couple who I would be more than happy to see married. In fact, I can't wait to dance at their wedding someday. They're in a committed relationship and are raising an amazing, beautiful baby girl together. That little girl is lucky to have the two fantastic mommas that love her, care for her and are going to teach her to be an amazing woman. There are plenty of heterosexual couples out there that wouldn't be half the parents that these women are. Shoot, one of them just blew his own kids up in Washington.

My point is that just as being heterosexual doesn't define who I am as a person, how I raise my children or whether I am a good person, being gay should not either. And they should have the same rights that I have. Period.

Happy MLK Jr. Day!

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr Day I normally post the text of his "I Have A Dream" speech. Last year, I posted the text to "Letter from a Birmingham Jail". This year, I invite you to watch his speech at the National Mall in Washington:

What most amazes me is how true his words still are. I feel like we've made great progress as a nation, but we are still far from color blind. Beyond just color, as our world changes, we have so many different people to be more accepting of and I truly hope some day we make it past what color people are, what their sexual preference is and see who they really are. This sort of change starts with each of us...

Never Forget

No, I'm not talking about September 11th. I'm talking about Pearl Harbor. In a surprise attack by the Japanese, on December 7, 1941, we lost 2,402 U.S. service men and women. This led directly to the United States entry into World War II. From a military strategy perspective, this was brilliant on the part of Japan - their goal was to disable the Pacific Fleet to keep them from interfering in the actions they were going to be taking in Southeast Asia. It is speculated that a third wave of planes was called off and that the third wave would have been completely crippling to the United States.
I was able to visit Pearl Harbor when I was a lot younger... even as a child it was something that left a very lasting impression on me. To this day, when I hear the air raid signal (like in movies for tornado warnings) I get goosebumps.

Battleship Row Being Bombed At Pearl Harbor

CNN published a really cool story this morning of Pearl Harbor told by a survivor. The link is here: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/07/pearl-harbor-survivor-90-still-on-mission-to-tell-story/?hpt=hp_c1

Both of my grandfathers fought in World War II, although on opposite sides. My dad's father served for the United States in Iwo Jima, while my mom's father served for Germany on the Russian front. Over the years, both of them told their stories of war and it's just really heartbreaking.

This tragic loss of life makes me wish that there was no such thing as war and that we could use our words to fix problems. I know, too idealistic, but it's a wish.

Eating Horses

Yup, you read the title right. I posted a link to this story on Facebook earlier today and couldn't help but also do a blog about it.

Apparently, back on November 18th, without much pomp and circumstance (ok, without ANY), Obama signed into law the reopening of US horse slaughterhouses. The argument here is that no matter what, hundreds of thousands of horses are slaughtered every year - without this law, they are inhumanely shipped to places like Mexico where they are very inhumanely killed. The idea that Congress had was if we do the slaughtering here in the US, we could do the deed more humanely and follow standard practices that are used for other animals consumed (not that all of those practices are humane... I've seen a show about some awful things done to cows...).

All of that said, would you eat horse? Fortunately for me, the state of California has banned both the slaughtering and sale of horse meat for human consumption since 1998... but there are other states that will move forward with this.

I have such a hard time with this one. On the one hand, I know that horse abandonment is up some ridiculous amount (last figure I heard was somewhere in the 60-65% range) and many of those horses die horrible, painful deaths. That said, my worry is that this now creates an industry for breeding horses for their meat. People who abandon their horses now are likely to continue with those behaviors (after all, we have vets that would euthanize their animals now, if necessary), so does this law really stop anything?

I'm actually quite surprised that this made it through Congress with little to no publicity... it will be interesting to see how the backlash is as the story gets out.

What do you think?

Click HERE for just one of the many articles on this subject.

Occupy Whatever

I have to admit, I have no idea what all this "Occupy Insert-Your-City's-Name-Here" stuff is. So, I did a Google search on "Occupy Wall Street" since this was the first one that I had heard about. It's actually really hard to find a single place that tells you exactly what these people are protesting, but from what I can find, they are protesting the difference in wealth between the top 1% and all the other remaining citizens in the United States. They've come up with the catchy slogan "We are the 99%".
And just to show how completely uninformed the masses are, according to the National Review, many, if not most of the Wall Street bankers that are being protested against by the Occupy Wall Street movement actually fall into the 99%.

I'm sure that somewhere, there are more details about what these people are protesting, but from what I gather, they're basically complaining because some people are rich and others are not.

News flash: the United States is built on captialism. That means that some people will have more than others. It's competitive. Someone will almost always have more than you (unless you're Carlos Slim or Bill Gates) and it's likely that someone will always have less. Deal with it. If you don't like your economic situation, get an education, get a better job and work harder. There are jobs to be had out there. They may not be your dream job, but it will put food on the table until you can find one that you like. I just don't understand the mentality of standing on a sidewalk yelling about how it's not fair. Seriously, are we all five years old?

I know that I have been very fortunate to have parents who paid for college and to get a good job. That said, I saw plenty of people who had the very same opportunities and squandered it. I worked my butt off for what I have and I don't expect anyone to hand me anything. I continue to be amazed a the portion of our country that is content to complain about how they don't have enough and no one is helping them. HELP YOURSELF!

If you have any more details about this crazy protest, leave a comment... I'd love to find out that they have some great cause that is just not being publicized.

The Death of Steve Jobs

Today the world got the news that Steve Jobs passed away. His contributions to the world are numerous... I heard the news from Mike in a text message on my iPhone. I then used my PC to check CNN for more details. Thirty years ago, neither of these things existed. Steve Jobs was instrumental in changing how we consume digital information and how people communicate.

Rest in peace Steve.

Ten Years Later

Never Forget. 9/11/01

I honestly can't believe it's been ten years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. It seems like just yesterday I was storming out of my bedroom, angry because the phone was ringing so early in the morning only to see a stricken look on my college roommate's face. The phone call was from relatives from back East, calling to tell her they were ok but that something had gone horribly wrong. We spent the rest of that Tuesday in front of the TV; horrified by what we were seeing. The thought of going to class never even crossed our minds.

Twin Towers Burning

There are only a few events in my life that I can look back on and remember with crystal clarity where I was, what I was thinking and how I felt. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake was probably the first real disaster that impacted my life. September 11 is also one of those events. As Alan Jackson put it, "Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)"? That's really what it did feel like for a while - like life was going to stop.

I think the September 11th attacks were so scary to me because they were unlike anything I'd ever known before... the 1989 earthquake was Mother Nature doing all the damage and destruction. This was real people hurting other real people. It's still very hard for me to believe that that kind of evil exists, but it does.

So much has happened in the last 10 years. That college roommate is now married and has a beautiful baby girl. I moved back to Northern California, got a new job, fell in love, bought a house and got engaged. I even picked up my EMT certification. I often wonder if 9/11 in some way inspired me to join the CERT program and to become an EMT. While it wasn't first and foremost on my mind, I do have to say that I continue to be inspired every day by the brave responders on that day. Not just those who died, but those who travelled from all over the country, just to do what they do. The image of three firefighters raising the flag at Ground Zero (reminiscent of the flag raising at Iwo Jima) is haunting to me.

Finally, I want to wish my parents a fantastic 35th wedding anniversary. While I think it's so important to never forget the tragic events of September 11, 2001, plenty of other wonderful and amazing things happened on that day. We shouldn't forget, but we also can't dwell forever and life goes on. Mom and Dad, I hope you guys have a wonderful anniversary today - here's to 35 more!

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

It's The End of The World... Or Not

Harold Camping, a Christian broadcaster, predicted the world would end on Saturday. Well, he predicted that Jesus would return, rapture 2-3% of the world's population to Heaven and then over the next five months the world would slowly destruct, with a fiery grand finale on October 21. Obviously, Camping was very, very wrong. What's even more hilarious is that he's quoted at saying he's "flabbergasted" that the day passed without incident. Some of his followers even went so far as to sell all of their belongings, quit their jobs and close out their bank accounts. I bet this morning was an awkward one at work...

Today Camping came out and said he made a mistake, that the would would really end on October 21st. I have a couple problems with this. First, I think the guy is a complete crock, with nothing to back his claims. Secondly,  my wedding is on October 22nd. I'm gonna be SO mad if I do all this planning and I don't even get to enjoy it!

I won't give the guy any kind of credit by linking my blog to his website, but needless to say, there's a website out there that attempts to detail what these people believe. I say attempt because it's a very poorly put together website that is difficult to navigate and make sense of.

I do have to say that I saw one of the best billboards ever posted on Facebook:

Best. Billboard. Ever.

Click here to read the CNN article.

"No matter how long it takes, justice will be done."

Almost all of us can think back to September 11, 2001 and remember where we were, what we were doing and who we were with when we heard the terrible news about the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon. As you well know, the mastermind behind these attacks (and founder of al-Qaeda) was Osama bin Laden. For many, this man has been the face of terror. This is true both for the United States and many other countries all over the world that he and his organization attacked.

What we know so far is the bin Laden was hiding out in a million dollar compound in Pakistan. President Barak Obama gave the go ahead on April 29th for a covert operation to storm the compound with the intent of killing bin Laden. Bin Laden and those with him were killed during the firefight.

It's taken three presidents, decades of time and thousands of lives, but former president George W. Bush put it perfectly:

"The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done." - George W. Bush

What makes me nervous is the group of people who believe this is it - that now that bin Laden is dead, terrorism has been eradicated. I believe that to be an incredibly naive and dangerous belief. There are hundreds, if not thousands of men willing to step up and take bin Laden's place. If anything, we are more at risk today than we have been over the last ten years as al-Qaeda plans some sort of retaliation. My soon-to-be nephew, Shane, shipped out to Afghanistan last Thursday - I hope and pray that he and his fellow soldiers stay safe!

I am very interested to hear more details as they are released by the government. Obama's announcement was last night and this morning CNN reported that bin Laden had already been buried at sea (their rational was that there was no country willing to take possession of the terrorist's body). It all seems a little fast, though the United States says it's dictated by Islamic custom to have the body buried within a day of death.

While last night's announcement is a victory for all Americans, I can't help but think about all of the old wounds that this must have opened for so many people. There are the families of the 2,977 world trade, Pentagon and plane victims; the families of the 5,885 soldiers that have died in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. These people can't get their loved ones back and I don't think bin Laden's death provides the relief that many hoped it would. Don't get me wrong, I want to see justice served, but justice served does not bring a lost loved one back.

Click here for a link to the CNN article.

Here Comes The Bride

It seems to be the talk of the town, so I thought I'd chat about it here, too. No, it's not world peace or new inventions. It's THE Royal Wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton. There are tea cups and coins and commemorative plates. There's even some crazy plumber that had William and Kate tattooed on his teeth! Seriously, click here to see.

I cannot imagine, even for a minute, how stressful life must be for Kate Middleton right now. I get nervous thinking about my own wedding day... let alone one that basically has the entire world watching. Not to mention, she has some very serious shoes to fill. Following in Diana's footsteps must be extremely nerve wracking.

In addition, there are all sorts of really well kept secrets like what will Kate's dress look like (I think it will be a silhouette style) to what music will be played (I think a mix of classical and contemporary pop, however, I don't think the Queen will be doing the funky chicken... her loss). Then there are questions as to what her title will be once they're married... there are a ton of potentials.

I think what people are most enamored with is the fact that Kate Middleton is just a normal person, like you and me. Let's be real, we all love a good love story and one that involves a "commoner" becoming a princess is just plain irresistible. What's not to love?


So, long story short, yes, I'm taping it and will watch on Friday. I'm not as into it as a lot of people seem to be, but I definitely am curious. Thank God for DVR so that I can fast forward through the boring parts!

Westboro Baptist Church

The radio show that I listen to every morning talked a lot about this issue this morning and it really got me thinking. If you haven't heard of any of this before, let me give you the quick rundown. Westboro Baptist Church is a Kansas-based church that is extremely anti-homosexuality. They picket outside of military funerals with signs that read "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "God blew up the troops". You may ask what this has to do with fallen soldiers... well, the church says that they believe that U.S. soldiers deserve to die because they fight for a country that tolerates homosexuality. One of the fathers of a fallen soldier who's funeral was picketed sued the church and today the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the church.

I think this issue becomes less about what the people have the right to do and more about what they SHOULD do. The beauty of living in the United States of America is that we have the freedom of speech. With the freedom to say wonderful things comes the freedom to say horrible, hateful things. I completely disagree with what the WBC is doing... and I know if it were my family member or friend's funeral, I would be devastated. However, we can't pick and choose because we like one thing and dislike another. Here's the text to the First Amendment:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

However hateful they're being, they are peacefully saying what they believe in. Again, I really think this circles back to not whether people can say it, but should they be saying it. Sometimes I think people get so wrapped up in shouting what they believe in from the rooftops that they forget to think about the impact of the words they're shouting. I completely disagree with and hate what the WBC is doing, but I think we head down a slippery slope if we start trying to pick and choose who we allow to exercise their freedoms. What these protesters forget is that the reason they are able to have the freedom to picket at a soldier's funeral is that said soldier died defending that right.

I'll leave you with a quote from Chief Justice John Roberts, who was part of the vote in today's ruling:

"Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and -- as it did here -- inflict great pain. On the facts before us, we cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker." -Chief Justice John Roberts

Click HERE for a link to the article on CNN.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

Every year I try to reflect on Martin Luther King Junior Day. Typically, I read through the "I Have A Dream" speech and try to reflect on not only how far our society has come but how horrible we have been to other people. I know that sounds a little morbid, but sometimes I think it's good to remember the bad so that it doesn't happen again.

Last night, Mike and I watched the movie "Mississippi Burning". If you haven't seen it, put it in your Netflix queue right now. It stars Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe in the story of two FBI agents sent to Mississippi to investigate the disappearance of civil rights activists. GREAT movie. But I digress...

This year, I mentioned to Mike that I was going to write this post and he recommended I read the Letter from Birmingham Jail. It turns out he took an entire course in college about MLK and thought this was a good document to review. He was definitely right. I've pasted the text below - it's long, but it's well worth the read. I'm constantly amazed with not only what a great orator he was, but how well he wrote. Here are several of the quotes I found particularly poignant:

"Privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily."
"Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection."

I don't know if we can truely say that our country is color blind. I like to think, especially with my generation, that we're getting there, but, sadly, I still think people see the color of someone's skin. It breaks my heart to see movies like "Mississippi Burning" and to realize that horrible things like that (and worse) occured. It makes me embarassed to be a part of the race that treated others so incredibly badly. Yet, you hear the stories of those who stood up for the oppressed, who stood side by side and were willing to make a change. I like to think I would have been one of those people back in 1963. I hope we continue to carry out MLK's dream.

LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL

April 16, 1963

MY DEAR FELLOW CLERGYMEN:

While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities "unwise and untimely." Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statements in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.

I think I should indicate why I am here In Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against "outsiders coming in." I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Frequently we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates. Several months ago the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct-action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise. So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here, I am here because I have organizational ties here.

But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.

Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.

You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city's white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative.

In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action. We have gone through all of these steps in Birmingham. There can be no gainsaying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community. Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known. Negroes have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the courts. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation. These are the hard, brutal facts of the case. On the basis of these conditions, Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city fathers. But the latter consistently refused to engage in good-faith negotiation.

Then, last September, came the opportunity to talk with leaders of Birmingham's economic community. In the course of the negotiations, certain promises were made by the merchants --- for example, to remove the stores humiliating racial signs. On the basis of these promises, the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and the leaders of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights agreed to a moratorium on all demonstrations. As the weeks and months went by, we realized that we were the victims of a broken promise. A few signs, briefly removed, returned; the others remained.

As in so many past experiences, our hopes had been blasted, and the shadow of deep disappointment settled upon us. We had no alternative except to prepare for direct action, whereby we would present our very bodies as a means of laying our case before the conscience of the local and the national community. Mindful of the difficulties involved, we decided to undertake a process of self-purification. We began a series of workshops on nonviolence, and we repeatedly asked ourselves : "Are you able to accept blows without retaliating?" "Are you able to endure the ordeal of jail?" We decided to schedule our direct-action program for the Easter season, realizing that except for Christmas, this is the main shopping period of the year. Knowing that a strong economic withdrawal program would be the by-product of direct action, we felt that this would be the best time to bring pressure to bear on the merchants for the needed change.

Then it occurred to us that Birmingham's mayoralty election was coming up in March, and we speedily decided to postpone action until after election day. When we discovered that the Commissioner of Public Safety, Eugene "Bull" Connor, had piled up enough votes to be in the run-off we decided again to postpone action until the day after the run-off so that the demonstrations could not be used to cloud the issues. Like many others, we waited to see Mr. Connor defeated, and to this end we endured postponement after postponement. Having aided in this community need, we felt that our direct-action program could be delayed no longer.

You may well ask: "Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn't negotiation a better path?" You are quite right in calling, for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks to so dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent-resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word "tension." I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.

The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. I therefore concur with you in your call for negotiation. Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in a tragic effort to live in monologue rather than dialogue.

One of the basic points in your statement is that the action that I and my associates have taken in Birmingham is untimely. Some have asked: "Why didn't you give the new city administration time to act?" The only answer that I can give to this query is that the new Birmingham administration must be prodded about as much as the outgoing one, before it will act. We are sadly mistaken if we feel that the election of Albert Boutwell as mayor will bring the millennium to Birmingham. While Mr. Boutwell is a much more gentle person than Mr. Connor, they are both segregationists, dedicated to maintenance of the status quo. I have hope that Mr. Boutwell will be reasonable enough to see the futility of massive resistance to desegregation. But he will not see this without pressure from devotees of civil rights. My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure. Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture; but, as Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups tend to be more immoral than individuals.

We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct-action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."

We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jet like speed toward gaining political independence, but we stiff creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging dark of segregation to say, "Wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking: "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?"; when you take a cross-country drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading "white" and "colored"; when your first name becomes "nigger," your middle name becomes "boy" (however old you are) and your last name becomes "John," and your wife and mother are never given the respected title "Mrs."; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you go forever fighting a degenerating sense of "nobodiness" then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience.

You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws. This is certainly a legitimate concern. Since we so diligently urge people to obey the Supreme Court's decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools, at first glance it may seem rather paradoxical for us consciously to break laws. One may want to ask: "How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?" The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that "an unjust law is no law at all".

Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority. Segregation, to use the terminology of the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, substitutes an "I-it" relationship for an "I-thou" relationship and ends up relegating persons to the status of things. Hence segregation is not only politically, economically and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and awful. Paul Tillich said that sin is separation. Is not segregation an existential expression 'of man's tragic separation, his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness? Thus it is that I can urge men to obey the 1954 decision of the Supreme Court, for it is morally right; and I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances, for they are morally wrong.

Let us consider a more concrete example of just and unjust laws. An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself. This is difference made legal. By the same token, a just law is a code that a majority compels a minority to follow and that it is willing to follow itself. This is sameness made legal.

Let me give another explanation. A law is unjust if it is inflicted on a minority that, as a result of being denied the right to vote, had no part in enacting or devising the law. Who can say that the legislature of Alabama which set up that state's segregation laws was democratically elected? Throughout Alabama all sorts of devious methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties in which, even though Negroes constitute a majority of the population, not a single Negro is registered. Can any law enacted under such circumstances be considered democratically structured?

Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application. For instance, I have been arrested on a charge of parading without a permit. Now, there is nothing wrong in having an ordinance which requires a permit for a parade. But such an ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and to deny citizens the First Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest.

I hope you are able to ace the distinction I am trying to point out. In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law, as would the rabid segregationist. That would lead to anarchy. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.

Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire. To a degree, academic freedom is a reality today because Socrates practiced civil disobedience. In our own nation, the Boston Tea Party represented a massive act of civil disobedience.

We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." It was "illegal" to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country's antireligious laws.

I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.

I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they fan in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress. I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that the present tension in the South is a necessary phase of the transition from an obnoxious negative peace, in which the Negro passively accepted his unjust plight, to a substantive and positive peace, in which all men will respect the dignity and worth of human personality. Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive. We bring it out in the open, where it can be seen and dealt with. Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with an its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured.

In your statement you assert that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. But is this a logical assertion? Isn't this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery? Isn't this like condemning Socrates because his unswerving commitment to truth and his philosophical inquiries precipitated the act by the misguided populace in which they made him drink hemlock? Isn't this like condemning Jesus because his unique God-consciousness and never-ceasing devotion to God's will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion? We must come to see that, as the federal courts have consistently affirmed, it is wrong to urge an individual to cease his efforts to gain his basic constitutional rights because the quest may precipitate violence. Society must protect the robbed and punish the robber.

I had also hoped that the white moderate would reject the myth concerning time in relation to the struggle for freedom. I have just received a letter from a white brother in Texas. He writes: "All Christians know that the colored people will receive equal rights eventually, but it is possible that you are in too great a religious hurry. It has taken Christianity almost two thousand years to accomplish what it has. The teachings of Christ take time to come to earth." Such an attitude stems from a tragic misconception of time, from the strangely rational notion that there is something in the very flow of time that will inevitably cure all ills. Actually, time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively. More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this 'hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right. Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy and transform our pending national elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity.

You speak of our activity in Birmingham as extreme. At first I was rather disappointed that fellow clergymen would see my nonviolent efforts as those of an extremist. I began thinking about the facts that stand in the middle of two opposing forces in the Negro community. One is a force of complacency, made up in part of Negroes who, as a result of long years of oppression, are so drained of self-respect and a sense of "somebodiness" that they have adjusted to segregation; and in part of a few middle class Negroes who, because of a degree of academic and economic security and because in some ways they profit by segregation, have become insensitive to the problems of the masses. The other force is one of bitterness and hatred, and it comes perilously close to advocating violence. It is expressed in the various black nationalist groups that are springing up across the nation, the largest and best-known being Elijah Muhammad's Muslim movement. Nourished by the Negro's frustration over the continued existence of racial discrimination, this movement is made up of people who have lost faith in America, who have absolutely repudiated Christianity, and who have concluded that the white man is an incorrigible "devil."

I have tried to stand between these two forces, saying that we need emulate neither the "do-nothingism" of the complacent nor the hatred and despair of the black nationalist. For there is the more excellent way of love and nonviolent protest. I am grateful to God that, through the influence of the Negro church, the way of nonviolence became an integral part of our struggle.

If this philosophy had not emerged, by now many streets of the South would, I am convinced, be flowing with blood. And I am further convinced that if our white brothers dismiss as "rabble-rousers" and "outside agitators" those of us who employ nonviolent direct action, and if they refuse to support our nonviolent efforts, millions of Negroes will, out of frustration and despair, seek solace and security in black-nationalist ideologies a development that would inevitably lead to a frightening racial nightmare.

Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the American Negro. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom, and something without has reminded him that it can be gained. Consciously or unconsciously, he has been caught up by the Zeitgeist, and with his black brothers of Africa and his brown and yellow brothers of Asia, South America and the Caribbean, the United States Negro is moving with a sense of great urgency toward the promised land of racial justice. If one recognizes this vital urge that has engulfed the Negro community, one should readily understand why public demonstrations are taking place. The Negro has many pent-up resentments and latent frustrations, and he must release them. So let him march; let him make prayer pilgrimages to the city hall; let him go on freedom rides--and try to understand why he must do so. If his repressed emotions are not released in nonviolent ways, they will seek expression through violence; this is not a threat but a fact of history. So I have not said to my people: "Get rid of your discontent." Rather, I have tried to say that this normal and healthy discontent can be channeled into the creative outlet of nonviolent direct action. And now this approach is being termed extremist.

But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Was not Amos an extremist for justice: "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Was not Martin Luther an extremist: "Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God." And John Bunyan: "I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience." And Abraham Lincoln: "This nation cannot survive half slave and half free." And Thomas Jefferson: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal ..." So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary's hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime---the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.

I had hoped that the white moderate would see this need. Perhaps I was too optimistic; perhaps I expected too much. I suppose I should have realized that few members of the oppressor race can understand the deep groans and passionate yearnings of the oppressed race, and still fewer have the vision to see that injustice must be rooted out by strong, persistent and determined action. I am thankful, however, that some of our white brothers in the South have grasped the meaning of this social revolution and committed themselves to it. They are still too few in quantity, but they are big in quality. Some---such as Ralph McGill, Lillian Smith, Harry Golden, James McBride Dabbs, Ann Braden and Sarah Patton Boyle---have written about our struggle in eloquent and prophetic terms. Others have marched with us down nameless streets of the South. They have languished in filthy, roach-infested jails, suffering the abuse and brutality of policemen who view them as "dirty nigger lovers." Unlike so many of their moderate brothers and sisters, they have recognized the urgency of the moment and sensed the need for powerful "action" antidotes to combat the disease of segregation.

Let me take note of my other major disappointment. I have been so greatly disappointed with the white church and its leadership. Of course, there are some notable exceptions. I am not unmindful of the fact that each of you has taken some significant stands on this issue. I commend you, Reverend Stallings, for your Christian stand on this past Sunday, in welcoming Negroes to your worship service on a non segregated basis. I commend the Catholic leaders of this state for integrating Spring Hill College several years ago.

But despite these notable exceptions, I must honestly reiterate that I have been disappointed with the church. I do not say this as one of those negative critics who can always find something wrong with the church. I say this as a minister of the gospel, who loves the church; who was nurtured in its bosom; who has been sustained by its spiritual blessings and who will remain true to it as long as the cord of Rio shall lengthen.

When I was suddenly catapulted into the leadership of the bus protest in Montgomery, Alabama, a few years ago, I felt we would be supported by the white church, felt that the white ministers, priests and rabbis of the South would be among our strongest allies. Instead, some have been outright opponents, refusing to understand the freedom movement and misrepresenting its leader era; an too many others have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained-glass windows.

In spite of my shattered dreams, I came to Birmingham with the hope that the white religious leadership of this community would see the justice of our cause and, with deep moral concern, would serve as the channel through which our just grievances could reach the power structure. I had hoped that each of you would understand. But again I have been disappointed.

I have heard numerous southern religious leaders admonish their worshipers to comply with a desegregation decision because it is the law, but I have longed to hear white ministers declare: "Follow this decree because integration is morally right and because the Negro is your brother." In the midst of blatant injustices inflicted upon the Negro, I have watched white churchmen stand on the sideline and mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities. In the midst of a mighty struggle to rid our nation of racial and economic injustice, I have heard many ministers say: "Those are social issues, with which the gospel has no real concern." And I have watched many churches commit themselves to a completely other worldly religion which makes a strange, on Biblical distinction between body and soul, between the sacred and the secular.

I have traveled the length and breadth of Alabama, Mississippi and all the other southern states. On sweltering summer days and crisp autumn mornings I have looked at the South's beautiful churches with their lofty spires pointing heavenward. I have beheld the impressive outlines of her massive religious-education buildings. Over and over I have found myself asking: "What kind of people worship here? Who is their God? Where were their voices when the lips of Governor Barnett dripped with words of interposition and nullification? Where were they when Governor Wallace gave a clarion call for defiance and hatred? Where were their voices of support when bruised and weary Negro men and women decided to rise from the dark dungeons of complacency to the bright hills of creative protest?"

Yes, these questions are still in my mind. In deep disappointment I have wept over the laxity of the church. But be assured that my tears have been tears of love. There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love. Yes, I love the church. How could I do otherwise? l am in the rather unique position of being the son, the grandson and the great-grandson of preachers. Yes, I see the church as the body of Christ. But, oh! How we have blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and through fear of being nonconformists.

There was a time when the church was very powerful in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being "disturbers of the peace" and "outside agitators"' But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were "a colony of heaven," called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God intoxicated to be "astronomically intimidated." By their effort and example they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and gladiatorial contests.

Things are different now. So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an arch defender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent and often even vocal sanction of things as they are.

But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Every day I meet young people whose disappointment with the church has turned into outright disgust.

Perhaps I have once again been too optimistic. Is organized religion too inextricably bound to the status quo to save our nation and the world? Perhaps I must turn my faith to the inner spiritual church, the church within the church, as the true ecclesia and the hope of the world. But again I am thankful to God that some noble souls from the ranks of organized religion have broken loose from the paralyzing chains of conformity and joined us as active partners in the struggle for freedom, They have left their secure congregations and walked the streets of Albany, Georgia, with us. They have gone down the highways of the South on tortuous rides for freedom. Yes, they have gone to jail with us. Some have been dismissed from their churches, have lost the support of their bishops and fellow ministers. But they have acted in the faith that right defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. Their witness has been the spiritual salt that has preserved the true meaning of the gospel in these troubled times. They have carved a tunnel of hope through the dark mountain of disappointment.

I hope the church as a whole will meet the challenge of this decisive hour. But even if the church does not come to the aid of justice, I have no despair about the future. I have no fear about the outcome of our struggle in Birmingham, even if our motives are at present misunderstood. We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham, and all over the nation, because the goal of American freedom. Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up with America's destiny. Before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson etched the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence across the pages of history, we were here. For more than two centuries our forebears labored in this country without wages; they made cotton king; they built the homes of their masters while suffering gross injustice and shameful humiliation-and yet out of a bottomless vitality they continued to thrive and develop. If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail. We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands.

Before closing I feel impelled to mention one other point in your statement that has troubled me profoundly. You warmly commended the Birmingham police force for keeping "order" and "preventing violence." I doubt that you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed, nonviolent Negroes. I doubt that you would so quickly commend the policemen if you were to observe their ugly and inhumane treatment of Negroes here in the city jail; if you were to watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls; if you were to see them slap and kick old Negro men and young boys; if you were to observe them, as they did on two occasions, refuse to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together. I cannot join you in your praise of the Birmingham police department.

It is true that the police have exercised a degree of discipline in handing the demonstrators. In this sense they have conducted themselves rather "nonviolently" in public. But for what purpose? To preserve the evil system of segregation. Over the past few years I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek. I have tried to make clear that it is wrong to use immoral means to attain moral ends. But now I must affirm that it is just as wrong, or perhaps even more so, to use moral means to preserve immoral ends. Perhaps Mr. Connor and his policemen have been rather nonviolent in public, as was Chief Pritchett in Albany, Georgia but they have used the moral means of nonviolence to maintain the immoral end of racial injustice. As T. S. Eliot has said: "The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason."

I wish you had commended the Negro sit-inners and demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer and their amazing discipline in the midst of great provocation. One day the South will recognize its real heroes. There will be the James Merediths, with the noble sense of purpose that enables them to face jeering and hostile mobs, and with the agonizing loneliness that characterizes the life of the pioneer. There will be the old, oppressed, battered Negro women, symbolized in a seventy-two-year-old woman in Montgomery, Alabama, who rose up with a sense of dignity and with her people decided not to ride segregated buses, and who responded with ungrammatical profundity to one who inquired about her weariness: "My feets is tired, but my soul is at rest." There will be the young high school and college students, the young ministers of the gospel and a host of their elders, courageously and nonviolently sitting in at lunch counters and willingly going to jail for conscience's sake. One day the South will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters, they were in reality standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judaeo-Christian heritage, thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

Never before have I written so long a letter. I'm afraid it is much too long to take your precious time. I can assure you that it would have been much shorter if I had been writing from a comfortable desk, but what else can one do when he is alone in a narrow jail cell, other than write long letters, think long thoughts and pray long prayers?

If I have said anything in this letter that overstates the truth and indicates an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me. If I have said anything that understates the truth and indicates my having a patience that allows me to settle for anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to forgive me.

I hope this letter finds you strong in the faith. I also hope that circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or a civil rights leader but as a fellow clergyman and a Christian brother. Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.

Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood,
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repealed

Apparently it's a week for current events...

Today President Obama and company repealed the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. In case you've been living under a rock for the last 20 years or so, here's some background information. The policy went into effect in 1993 and basically states that the military is restricted from efforts to discover or reveal the sexuality of it's members. It also states that if you're openly gay, lesbian or bisexual that you are barred from military service. So, on one hand, while it's great that it prevents the military from digging into anyone's sexuality, it's bad because it doesn't allow you to open about what your sexuality might be. When it was introduced by President Clinton, the alleged idea was to protect LGBT soldiers from harassed.

Retired General Shalikashvili (who was formerly against LGBT soldiers serving) wrote: "Our military has been stretched thin by our deployments in the Middle East, and we must welcome the service of any American who is willing and able to do the job."

So, here are my thoughts. People are gay. They're working at the doctor's office, at the DMV, at the grocery store. Many of them are out. Some of them are not. Let's not pretend that LGBT people do not exist. They are people just like you and I who have made a choice in their life (some will even argue that it's not a choice). Why on earth would we stop them from serving in the military?! As the good General above said, we can use every person who is willing to defend this country right now. In fact, I think it says something that a person who's rights are not even supported by the country is willing to fight (and die) for that very country.

I'd also like to remind people that there was once a time that we didn't allow blacks or women to serve in the military... maybe we need to learn from our past.

I think today is a huge victory, not just for the LGBT community but for our country as a whole. I know that I'm incredibly thankful for my freedoms and I don't care if the person who gave their life for that is gay or not! It makes me proud to be an American today!

Link to CNN's coverage.

Choir Gone Wild

Last night, the choir that I sang with until recently planned and event at one of the local malls, the Roseville Galleria. Back in October there was a major incident at the mall... a man walked in with a backpack, held up a store and set fire to the store. The fire raged out of control, amid reports of the backpack holding explosives. Long story short, there's still a significant portion of the mall that is not open due to fire damage. SCSO had planned to show up at the food court to sing the Hallelujah Chorus and then disperse to shop, eat, whatever. The goal was to bring more people to the mall and generate some revenue, while spreading a little Christmas cheer.

Apparently, a lot of people showed up. A lot. Reports range from a few hundred to five thousand. Needless to say, the mall was packed. Probably not what anyone expected. At one point, someone claims to have heard the floor crack and rumble (they were on the second story, near the food court). This was followed by a flurry of calls to 911. The mall was evacuated and shut down so that structural engineers could evaluate the safety of the foundation and flooring.

Now, I am the first person to tell you that I am 100% committed to safety. Do I think that it was right to disperse the crowd last night? Yes. Do I think they needed police helicopters and to shut down the entire mall? No. I also don't like the use of the term "flash mob". By definition, a flash mob is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual act for a brief time, then disperse. Examples of this are when 200 people flooded the lobby of a Hyatt hotel in New York, applauded for 15 seconds and then dispersed, all without the hotel's knowledge. SCSO had planned this event out with the Galleria and had advertised it on their web site. To me, that's definitely not the same thing.

Mike and I had a discussion about this last night... If I own a bar and I invite a band to come play, I'm responsible for making sure that I don't have more people than I have capacity for. If I know the fire code says fifty people and two hundred show up, as the owner of that business, I am responsible for making sure that I maintain safety. I honestly don't see how the Galleria Mall situation is any different.

Here's the link to the Sac Bee's story.

In other news, take a look at director Don Kendrick in the pictures and video - he looks like he's in all his glory! What a cool thing, to have that many people come out to sing and listen! I love that people are so willing to share the Christmas spirit, even if it didn't turn out exactly how it was planned!

Update: now it's made it to CNN!

Dog Rescue

Tell me how cool this is... a 13 year old yellow lab named Homer fell down a hole today that was dug to prep for a sewer line in Sacramento.

Sacramento Metro Fire sent their confined space rescue team out to work on saving the dog - and from the latest news reports, it looks like they got him out safely! In fact, if you look at the link below, you can see where Homer is out and on oxygen. What a cool group of people that were willing to risk their lives for someone's pet!

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2010/11/26/dog-falls-30ft-into-septic-tank-rescue-team-dispatched/

Rejoining the Living

Well, I lost the battle to yet another sinus infection. What started as a little sinus pressure after scuba diving class turned into full on sinus headache and later, infection. Definitely no fun. First round of antibiotics didn't work and the second round, while scary, does seem to be doing the trick. I wish there was some magical way to keep these things at bay! I've tried everything - my allergy meds, allergy shots, steam, neti pots, decongestants... the list goes on and on. If anyone has some suggestion that I haven't already tried, let me know!

In other absolutely amazing news, the Chilean miners were finally rescued the other day! For those of you not up to speed, on August 5th, a gold mine in Chile collapsed, trapping 33 miners underground. They survived and amazing 69 days underground! The rescuers were able to drill a small hole down to them (7 football fields down!) and passed things like food, water, cameras, etc down. They spent the rest of the time working on creating a larger hole that they could send a rescue capsule down to bring them up. This just completely blows me away. Seeing that first miner come out of the ground was amazing... if you think even 10 years back, they probably all would have been dead. Technology is absolutely amazing!

Feel Your Boobies

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month (holy cow, it's October already?!), I've decided to turn my blog pink. Thanks for the idea Renee! There are some startling facts out there... but the one that really shocked me is that every 69 seconds a woman on this planet dies of breast cancer. What a horrifying statistic. Self checks and regular testing to ensure early detection are the best ways for women to get a head start on this disease. I challenge every one of you to do something this month to raise awareness about breast cancer - whether it's signing up for a walk or donating to one of the organizations that promotes breast cancer awareness!

And ladies, feel your boobies! :)

Controversy - BART Shooting Verdict

Today the verdict was announced in the Grant Oscar BART shooting case.

Here's a little background information on what happened the day of the shooting:

On January 1, 2009, police were called to the Oakland Fruitvale station of BART after passengers complained about fights on the train. One of the responding officers was Johannes Mehserle, a BART police officer. Bystanders took cell phone video of what followed - three suspects were sitting on the platform when one tried to get up. The video shows officers pushing him back down, at which point one of them puts his knee on the suspect's head. Another officer stands above him, pulls out his weapon and fires a single shot into the back of the man laying on the ground. The man, 22-year-old Grant Oscar, died. Today, the officer was convicted of involuntary manslaughter which typically carries a 2 to 4 year prison sentence.

One version of the video can be seen here.

I have two conflicting opinions on this. The first is that you probably should never put yourself in a position to have one police officer with his knee on your head and another has his gun drawn on you. You should never resist arrest. Oscar Grant had a background of two prison terms for various felonies including drug dealing. He also did time for running from the police with a loaded weapon (an incident that he was Tazed in). Does any of that mean he should have been shot in the back while laying face down? Absolutely not. Might he have done something that was not captured on the grainy cell phone video that would have provoked the officers? Maybe.

Here's my other opinion: I believe that being a police officer might be the hardest job in the world. You constantly see society at their worst, and if you trusted everyone, you would end up dead. In this case, Mehserle claims that he meant to draw his Taser, not his gun. Was it truly a horrible mistake?

Let's talk a little about involuntary manslaughter. The actual definition is as follows: the unlawful killing of a human being without malice aforethought. Basically, you killed someone without actually meaning to (as opposed to you set out with the purpose of taking life). Another example of this would be accidentally backing your car over a child. So, if he truly meant to pull his Taser but in the heat of the moment pulled his gun instead, wouldn't that be involuntary manslaughter? The idea behind this lesser conviction (as opposed to murder) is that you shouldn't lock someone away for life who did not set out to be a murderer - they still deserve to be punished, but at a lesser sentence.

Also, there's the race deal. It breaks my heart to see that racial prejudice still exists in our country today, but I'm sad to report that it's alive and well. You see, Mehserle is a white man while Oscar was a black man. There are claims that if both men would have been white, the same actions would not have been taken. There are claims that he may have received a harsher punishment if there had been a black person on the jury (there were none).

Finally, it's really sad that there was reason to be nervous if you were in Oakland today. It turns out that police and city officials were worried that once the verdict was read there would be riots throughout Oakland. It makes me really sad that people can't find any other way to get their point across other than completely destroying their own city. What happened to community pride? Luckily, it seems that there were a few relatively minor incidents, but still sad that we live in a society that still thinks violence gets a point across.

Personally, I'm very torn in this case. I firmly believe that you should never be in a position to have the police arresting you, but I do understand that sometimes it happens. I like to think that our police officers are trained to react calmly in situations that would scare the crap out of us normal people (the same way that EMTs and paramedics are trained to see people in horrible crashes, but still remain rational). I'd like to think that there would be safeguards in place that would allow an officer to feel the difference in a taser gun and a pistol when they are in his hand. I think it's a truly sad situation and that both Mehserle and Oscar's lives have been destroyed.

Never Forget

So, quick weekend recap - basically went into a mini coma for most of the weekend. My major accomplishment was showering and getting dressed for a party on Saturday. Oh, and by the way, the "big thing" I had going on on Friday was POR, this scary, ugly thing at work where you present to all of these higher ups and pray they don't fire you. It went really well, but I was so stressed and tired from the last three weeks of 15 hour days that I crashed for most of the weekend.

Shout out to Greg, Matt and Ryan who threw an awesome housewarming party on Saturday night. They have a great bachelor pad setup going and I was introduced to the wonder that is beer pong. Apparently I missed out on this in college. I tried to claim it's because I went to Catholic college, but Greg went to Gonzaga and had done it, so my theory didn't float. For those of you, who like me, somehow missed this important lesson, beer pong is a game played with a bunch of red solo cups, a ping pong ball and four semi-drunk people. Now, I was sober sister, so I was only a spectator, but had I not been driving I could possibly have been convinced to play. You fill the cups halfway with beer and line them up like bowling pins on each side of the table. The teams stand opposite each other and try to toss the ball in the other team's cup. If they make it in, the other team drinks. Goal is to be the team that doesn't drink the most. Somehow, everyone wins. It gets more and more entertaining as the hand-eye coordination begins to slip...

Anywho, it was really fun hanging out with the gang from work outside of work. They're some cool cats!

On Sunday Brig and I hauled our lazy butts out of bed and went to the 11:50am showing of "Step Up" - in our sweatpants. Two reasons. One, it was comfy. Two, any guys that we would be interested in were probably not going to be seeing "Step Up" at noon on a Sunday. They're most likely still sleeping off the night before. It was a good movie. The acting was bad, the dancing was "eh", but Channing Tatum sure was nice to look at.

Today is my parents 30th wedding anniversary! How crazy is that? Congrats Mom and Dad! Love ya lots!

Finally, just a little pause to remember the horrific events of five years ago. I was driving to work listening to my local country station and they were talking about everything - it still really gets me all emotional. I'll never forget skipping class to sit at home watching TV with Daniella all day or waiting to hear if Troy was still deploying. They say this is the defining event of my generation - just like many people know where they were when JFK was shot, most of us can remember where we were when we heard about the September 11th attacks. It's a crazy world we live in. The only thing I can draw from it is while there are terrible people out there who do horrible things to innocent people, there are also amazingly brave and selfless people who will do anything to try to save a stranger. That's what we need to remember.