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| Bob Dylan at a civil rights gathering, Greenwood Mississippi, 1963 |
When the boys got in the car this afternoon after school, they told me that they'd discussed President Obama's decision to support gay marriage at school, with their teachers. That's why I love living in a large, tolerant (for the most part) city in a blue state. That's why I love that they go to a progressive school with many children who have same sex families. I'm glad that President Obama "evolved," however late in the game he decided to do so and for whatever personal or political reason.
It was, I told my children, the right thing to do.
Evidently, George Clooney is having a fundraiser for the President tonight in the valley, and like all days that The Man comes to town, the traffic is even more insane than usual. While I'm not of the camp that derides Obama for messing up the city, I will say that the whole campaign hoopla nauseates me. Evidently, tonight's fundraiser will bring in tens of millions of dollars into the campaign and, frankly, that makes me sick. As sick as Mitt Romney's bazillions do, floating around in Swiss bank accounts or those two Cadillacs his wife drives.
It might be simplistic, but why the hell (WTH) is the Hollywood set capable of shelling out tens of millions of dollars to pay for television advertisements and those godforsaken postcards that come in the mail every single day but not for the five thousand teachers that have been given pink slips during the last year? WTH can't they raise money and hand it over, directly over, to community programs that help the mentally ill and homeless? Or perhaps they might pony up to save some of the respite programs for families of children with disabilities and the elderly? Why the hell not (WTHN)? Or perhaps they could fix the potholes that line Wilshire Blvd. and make one's commute akin to the dirt roads of Afghanistan -- admittedly, that's hyperbole, but it's akin to the truth of failing infrastructure and misplaced priorities.
WTHN?
So, while I applaud the POTUS for doing the right thing (at last), I wish he'd climb out of that caravan and into the arms of George Clooney and his mega-star friends and implore them to reach out to the city that embraces them and do the right thing.
(And the photo of Dylan isn't really apropos of anything but doing the right thing. It happens to be taken in the same city that my maternal grandmother hailed from --)
well said. agreed x 10.
ReplyDeleteObama's speech stirred up a heap of debate here in Ideeho.
ReplyDeleteI really like that Stephen Fry video you posted. I don't mean to drag religion back into the ring here, but i think this is another succinct and effective argument to throw in.
West Wing Season 2 Ep.3
Hallelujah! POTUS was in my neck of the woods this morning, attending a brunch that cost $17,000 PER PERSON to attend. Shameful, as far as I'm concerned. I say we do the work of political campaign reform (free advertising for political ads once or twice a day) and then spend all those millions of dollars where they need to be spent. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteSo well said. I agree with everything you said Elizabeth! I've often wondered how insane it is that athletes and movie stars get paid so much when nannies and teachers get paid nothing. It's just wrong.
ReplyDeleteRight there with you my friend.
ReplyDeleteAs I walked the oncology floor daily, with Zoey for those 8 months, we would head down one particular hallway and it dead ended right where I could gaze up and see the Hollywood sign. And, many, many a days I would ponder the very same questions as you and wonder about the bazillions of dollars in that city, earned by the Hollywood industry. And wished 'they' all could just do the right thing.
Kinda makes me ill just thinking about it.
Enjoy the wild rumpus birthday weekend. We'll catch up soon.
i'm with karlo. we have GOT to get campaign finance reform going in this country (just look at the John Edwards trial). All this money could be well spent taking care of urgent needs instead of getting politicians elected.
ReplyDeleteAnd, by the way, I must say I am gratified by the President's statement. It is the right thing to do.
WTHN, indeed. I'm behind you 100% Priorities are so SNAFU in the US in particular. (Situation Normal All Fucked Up). Election reform is completely necessary.
ReplyDeleteThanks for speaking out, Elizabeth. x0 N2
That photo choked me up a bit it did. And I'm always thinking What Would Hunter Thompson Do because I'm weird that way. When you wrote The Man I thought you meant George Clooney. Hahahahaaaha. But seriously I did and I thought I wouldn't mind the city clog for him. Yes the prez likes Seattle where we have the third worst traffic nation not bad for a hamlet. Arggghhhhh. Great post.
ReplyDeletelove,
Rebecca
ps. My WV is ippores gnoma which is disease I think I have that causes me to mis-read so many blog posts.
Yup. You nailed that.
ReplyDeleteThis puts me in mind of that post I wrote a million years ago about why can't we let the midwives run the world for awhile?
ReplyDeleteThings would be different and fundraisers would not look the same and maybe the money and the milk and the medicine would get to those who need it and deserve it without all the damn middlemen.
Okay. That's what I'm thinking.