Was DOMA Defensive or Political?

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Monday October 26, 2015 · 5:12 PM PDT

2015/10/26 · 17:12

What are people who were gay activists and/or involved with the White House saying?

“In 1996, I was President of the Human Rights Campaign, and there was no threat of a Federal Marriage Amendment”

She goes on to point out there was no federal case making its way through the courts. There was only the Hawaii case based on the state constitution. She adds that the federal amendment idea did not become an issue until 2004 when Bush ran on it.

Elizabeth Birch, head of the HRC / Clinton ally
http://americablog.com/...

bruh1 for Readers and Book Lovers

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Sunday January 25, 2015 · 4:30 PM PST

2015/01/25 · 16:30

LGBT Literature is a Readers and Book Lovers series dedicated to discussing books that have made an impact on the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. From fiction to contemporary nonfiction to history and everything in between, any book that touches on LGBT themes is welcome in this series. LGBT Literature posts on the last Sunday of every month at 7:30 PM EST. If you are interested in writing for the series, please send a Kosmail to Chrislove.

From Yaoi to superhero to literary, from the mainstream to the independent to experimental and from the profound to cotton candy, there is a vast territory to cover in comic books and graphic novels. It is impossible to cover in one short diary. Instead, I mention below some stories and characters that you should check out.

To understand the allure of comic books and graphic novels, I will start with a scene: A dirty bathroom in the slums of Rio. Lord Fanny, a Brazilian trans shaman and recent victim of a brutal gang rape, contemplates suicide and questions her patron god, Tlazolteotl.

...and Tlazolteotl says, “I have made you strong, and wise, and incorruptible. I have shown you the worst there is and made you free.” Lord Fanny responds, “Tlazolteotl, who mated with a jaguar and brought forth Quetzalcoatl, who seduced the virtuous hermit into sin. You who are mystery and redemption. You who teach witchcraft and forgive all who fall. I will crawl through shit. I will take all the filth of the world and turn it into the purest gold. I will rise from darkness, shining like the morning star, illuminated woman am I...”

bruh1

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Thursday July 18, 2013 · 3:26 PM PDT

2013/07/18 · 15:26

One of the more insidious forms of racism in our criminal justice system is not the fire-breathing bigot- the stereotypical KKK member in a white hood burning crosses. It is the structural racism that hides behind process, polite conversation, rationalization and the “common sense” reality of Denialism that too many average White Americans share about race, in which the outcomes impact Blacks in a negative way. This is true whether we are the victim or the defendant. This type of racism works best when our society denies its existence because, if it is hidden, we can pretend not to see it.

One of the more frustrating conversations with some White Liberals at Daily Kos is when Denialism results in structural racism being ignored or reduced in importance.

The data is irrefutable. When Blacks are involved, the bias of race becomes apparent. It repeats itself in study after study.

bruh1

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Monday July 15, 2013 · 5:15 PM PDT

2013/07/15 · 17:15

One of the sad truths of the Zimmerman trial is this: Despite the back and forth about legal elements of the case like "reasonable doubt", the racism of the jurors likely decided the outcome, and that outcome was always likely to be "not guilty."

Some may wish to believe that we live in a color blind society, but I want to exam the jury to see if those views hold true. I believe the case was for at least some of the jury was about racialized space- the black boy was in a place at a time they thought he shouldn't be. Let's look at one of the jurors selected from Sanford.

Actually, before I start, let me point out that finding a non-racist jury in Sanford may have been a challenge.

More below

bruh1

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Monday July 01, 2013 · 3:57 PM PDT

2013/07/01 · 15:57

This is a rant about my frustration as a black man when I read about the Zimmerman case.

I rarely rant.

So, please excuse me.

I believe Zimmerman should have a fair trial. I think he's guilty, but he should have a fair trial. I read today about the testimony of the police involved in the case, and, more than any other aspect of the case, the police piss me off. From a public policy perspective, their willingness to turn a blind eye means open season on people like me.

I know this has been said: They weren't doing their jobs as police officers. But, let me add, they failed to be police officers in the court today as well.

bruh1

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday December 20, 2012 · 4:06 PM PST

2012/12/20 · 16:06

When I read about civility in the context of Social Security cuts or other race & class warfare issues, it leads me to conclude that the writer or speaker has the wrong priorities. My priority in the debate over Social Security cuts is not to be civil. Its to protect my society, family, friends and self from cuts that will harm us.

If you are discussing civility, rather than how to prevent the cuts, you and I are quite simply going to fight. You can not serve both the dictates of civility and fight the class war being waged against us. This isn't Hollywood where the good win simply by being good. The forces aligned against us aren't interested in civility. They are interested in winning. And, you k now what? I don't fault them. They are playing according to the rules of politics. You can wail until your throat is sore against the nature of politics, but even that wailing demonstrates you lack the right priorities.

bruh1

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Tuesday December 18, 2012 · 6:11 PM PST

2012/12/18 · 18:11

I had originally titled this diary "How to screw your party through entitlement cuts," but I realized the issue of cutting Social Security reflects a wider issue with the Democratic Party leadership and the parts of its base that supports the corporate establishment. The problem can be summed up in one word: Denial.

While the GOP works off saying "no," the Democratic Party seems to exist in various stages and forms of denial.

bruh1

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Friday October 28, 2011 · 8:01 AM PDT

2011/10/28 · 08:01

I saw this article on Huffington Post, which frames OWS as a movement seeking to "save capitalism." I was at once struck by the co-option of the OWS movement.

I don't think OWS is trying to save or not save capitalism. People aren't out there protesting to save or not save capitalism. They are protesting to have a better quality of life. They are protesting to have a better, not perfect, but better country in which they live. Whether that's under capitalism or not is entirely besides the point.

Some have already paid the price for that dream. More, if the movement continues, will also pay the price. That's the price of movements. Its not something that should be endorsed or accepted- not ever. But, it is a part of them. The powerful do not give up power easily.

Poll

54 votes Show Results

Is OWS saving capitalism?

54 votes Vote Now!

Is OWS saving capitalism?

Yes

16 votes

19 votes

Maybe

13 votes

I don't know

6 votes

Corruption 101: Regulatory Capture in 10 Easy Steps

bruh1

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Tuesday October 25, 2011 · 8:16 AM PDT

2011/10/25 · 08:16

Welcome to a new course at Daily Kos, Corruption 101. First up: how
regulatory capture can help you corrupt a system in 10 easy steps.

Step 1: The Outcry

Wait until there is such a huge public outcry that the politicians,
whom you have paid off through campaign donations, can longer pretend
not to notice. Make sure to poison the well by claiming that
regulations breed uncertainty and risk. Its a lie, but no one
important will question you.

Step 2: The watered-down bill of the watered-down bill of what little
is left on the table

Pass laws written by your lobbyists, but make certain that both
parties pretend to have a partisan battle over policy issues. This
will ensure people feel like the issue is being addressed. Make
certain that minor issues seem controversial and define the narrow
band of choice that you find accept as the only "issues on that can be
on the table." When the bill is finally passed, you can use this
"process" to ensure that it is more watered down than the watered down
version that began the process.

Poll

8 votes Show Results

Do you follow the legislative process beyond a bill being passed?

8 votes Vote Now!

Do you follow the legislative process beyond a bill being passed?

Yes

4 votes

2 votes

Sometimes

2 votes

There Is No Left In America

bruh1

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday October 01, 2011 · 2:38 PM PDT

2011/10/01 · 14:38

There is no Left in America. There is Party-Identity Politics. Party-identity politics is focused primarily on winning based on party-identity unity rather than policy unity (the later of which may come because one agrees already or one is convinced through policy debate or one wins the debate through politics). If there were a Left, we would see the parties as servicing the goals of the Leftist movement rather than the Leftist movement understood as servicing the interests of the party to stay in power. There is an old saying: You can't serve two masters. The cycle of greater reactionary conservatism in the GOP should not, in that sense, be seen as an aberration, but a natural result of triangulation by both parties reacting to the Conservative Free-market movement, which has no Leftist counterpart.

bruh1

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday January 15, 2011 · 12:00 PM PST

2011/01/15 · 12:00

On the Title

Oprah projects through pop culture – “Anyone can be Oprah.” The American dream of limitless resources must be true for people of color because Oprah exists. She embodies the post-racial politics of Neoliberalism.

An Introduction To the Series

Racism is significantly a struggle over scarce resources. Neoliberalism is an economic religion that believes we live in a world where scarcity is a matter of inefficient markets that are not allocating resources properly. “Government is bad,” for example, because it misallocates resources. If “markets are free,” we will achieve the “promised land” wherein growth continues for everyone.

The inconsistency of arguing ongoing growth in a free market where resources are scarce is often lost. If resources are scarce, how can the pie grow forever on a finite earth? The Neoliberal denies the zero sum nature of living organisms. At base, this is a denial of scarcity itself although most Neoliberals would deny these characterizations.

bruh1

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday January 09, 2011 · 11:26 AM PST

2011/01/09 · 11:26

I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.

Sam, The Lord of the Rings

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Was DOMA Defensive or Political?

LGBT Literature: “When you shut your eyes, afraid to see yourself..."

Zimmerman, Racism & Racial Progress

Zimmerman Juror's Racism

Zimmerman, the Police & Race-- A Rant

African-Americans, Social Security Cuts & Priorities

Democratic Party: the Party of Denial

OWS is about "saving capitalism"?

Corruption 101: Regulatory Capture in 10 Easy Steps

There Is No Left In America

Oprah, Race and Neoliberalism: A Series of Diaries

Canaries in a Coal Mine: Capitalism Is Inherently Unstable, A Series