Why aren't we marching in the streets?

People here are very out of it and can be total dings...Arnie got himself elected...most people love celebrity, especially if the actor can talk and deliver a message...look at Reagan for Christ's sake...they named a fucking airport after him, a freeway, and a new medical complex at UCLA! and he wasn't even a good actor (on film)!

Arnie is doing all the "right" things now - leading up to the election - he's got his Hummer outfitted to run on "the right type of fuel" and a muti gazillion dollar infra-structure ballot measure - Meanwhile, Maria is staying cool and doing all the right things. They are a cute family - their rich, powerful, famous, charming and "interesting" which is good charisma in the politics biz…

Personally, I love Arnie for who he is and admire him for what he has done with his life - he's probably a great daddy - gotta love a cigar smokin' man!

We both like big muscle guys, Gold's Gym, the Venice Beach, San Francisco, Mendocino, Sonoma goat cheese, the wine country, Big Sur, Lake Tahoe, Disneyland, the California life style and love being able to "make it" here - I even saw some nudie photos he did - got to love him for that…

But all said, I didn't vote for him and won't in the next election. But then, I'm not your average Californian.

Alright boys! How did this turn into a California thread? Lol. There are 49 other states in the Union, you know. ;)

Marc, just because someone else has it worse elsewhere doesn't make it good by comparison. less bad does not equal good. that's like saying having 2 small meals per day and being hungry is not a problem because some people have only one meal or don't eat every day.

our constitution is a rockin' document and our own government and lawmakers are trying to completely bypass it. that's not okay with me, and it appears it's not okay with a lot of people. but most people can't even bother to phone their duly elected reps and tell them. if our own lawmakers and the people whose JOB it is is to protect our rights fail to do so, things will get worse.

the truth is our congresspeople, senators, and other reps want to be re-elected or to rise even higher as politicians. if we let them know we will not vote for them if they support illegal acts against the constitution, they will vote on issues in the way that is most likely to get them votes later. we DO have the power - as a group - but only if we USE the power.

btw, i know some pretty liberal thinkers in dallas. there can be groups and meetings there, but it may take time to find the people and get things going. but if you're really angry, that time and effort would be well spent. you can also call or write to your elected officials, send checks to ACLU and other organizations and so on. there are things people can do in EVERY state - even if it's to send a few checks to the right place and link people on boards to important political issues and inform them on important issues.

i once got over 40 people who were going to vote for ross perot to vote for bill clinton. sure, 40 people isn't a ton but it's pretty good for one little me. two of them that i know of convinced their friends and so on.

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Originally Posted by Marc

I dunno, it doesnt bother me that much. I think were pretty lucky to live in America when you consider what some other people have to go through in other countries.

My mother knows a woman who lived in some village in Asia or something years ago and men would go around with newspapers and ask regular people on the street to read something from the newspaper to them, and youd have to pretend you didnt know how to read because if you did youd be followed home and killed for being too smart.

Look what kids in Uganda have to go through. They can only go out at night and thats to travel to get away from the killers who go around at night to kill and rape kids. Forcing some kids to shoot and kill their own parents then turn them into slaves.
Its a genocide of children over there.

While our children draw pics of their families and homes with a smiley sun in the sky, this is what kids in Uganda draw:
http://www.theirc.org/resources/draw...ame=otherPages
http://www.theirc.org/resources/draw...ame=otherPages
http://www.theirc.org/resources/draw...ame=otherPages

It makes me mad that we go to "help the people of Iraq and free them" when the people in Uganda REALLY DO need help desperately and it would take no time or effort, but we dont help them much.

I thought it sucks that gay people cant get married in America, then I saw pictures of a gay man in Iran who was whipped repeatedly just because he's gay, his back looked like hamburger. I see a lot of profiles from men online who live in the middle east and cant show their faces in their profiles because homosexuality is a crime.

So I feel that were lucky to be here. If some ancient bible preacher on tv wants to tell me that Im going to hell while asking old people to send him money, he's just an annoying but harmless poodle compared to the killers that people have to deal with in other countries, and the fear people have to live with.

Everything isnt always going to be perfect, but you can do the best you can.
Just think, 2 more years of this and hopefully we'll have bluer skies and calmer nerves.

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Originally Posted by basschick

Marc, just because someone else has it worse elsewhere doesn't make it good by comparison. less bad does not equal good. that's like saying having 2 small meals per day and being hungry is not a problem because some people have only one meal or don't eat every day.

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Thank you for taking that one! I was flabbergasted by Marc's response and didn't know how to respond. I couldn't have said it better!

But I do fear that Marc's opinion is quite common. So many Americans think everything is fine just because their immediate surroundings haven't drastically changed. I'm ok so you must be ok too. ;)

Btw, I do contibute to HRC and the ACLU and a few candidates.

And you forgot the 3rd war that is going on.

The War on Porn.

Following the details behind the news stories more and more people are having search warrents served on them and computers taken because they MAY have porn on them and of that porn SOME MAY be child porn. no evidence needed more that a whispered word or a suspision now can get you a visit from the DOJ. and then you sit in a jial cell while they get around to actually looking though your stuff to see if anything IS there or not.

Scarey times, gentlemen, scarey times.

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And to think Clinton was impeached just for receiving a blowjob and lying about it. And Bush has never even been censured.

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You are so right on Xstr8guy. The real problem I see is that the democrats are just a bunch of wimps with no front man like Clinton to lead them. The recent statement by Howard Dean that 'democrats believe marriage is between a man and a woman' was a real let down. As much as I dislike the republicans, the reason they have done so well is because they stick up for their issues, as bloody wrong as most of them are. The democratic party in the US is more conservative then many 'right wing' parties in other countries.

There really needs to be a leader or spokesman to come out with the balls to say things how they really are. That's what would really win the support of the people, even if people didn't agree with everything I think they'd be happy with some one that really speaks their heart, and maybe they could even change some ignorant people's minds on some our core issues.

Well, all I can say is I'm glad I don't live there anymore. Where I live they just ousted the prime minister due to corruption scandals, you should have seen it, the whole city was nearly shut down due to the so many people protesting. People did that in the US in the 60's, but I think it's like Basschick said, now people think they are actually doing something by typing emails. I think although the new generation may be connected to the Internet, they've become more disconnected from society and each other.

In case, you missed it... there is a poll in this thread. Please participate. :thumbsup:

there are??? really?

;)

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Originally Posted by Xstr8guy

Alright boys! How did this turn into a California thread? Lol. There are 49 other states in the Union, you know. ;)

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Well today I worked as an election judge for Austin's city elections today. I'm happy to say that ballot prop 6 to extend domestic partner benefits to gay city employees passed easily. This is a sweet victory, because the same measure lost dramatically ten years ago.

I think once again it shows the kind of progress we are making. I'm sorry if some of you feel everything is going to Hell in a handbasket. If you think the world needs changing, don't wail at the masses who you perjoratively see as apathetic and/or stupid.

If you want some political change, look around, assess your abilities, and do stuff. For me, my twenties where spent doing things like working to pass the hate crimes bill in texas, get our sodomy law eliminated, sue the republican party of texas for discrimination, talk about gay rights on the local news in my hometown of D/FW where my high school teachers subsequently found me and thanked me for what i'm doing, etc.

Doing stuff politically can be a lot of fun, thrilling at times, and a very important civic duty.

If you give money to HRC than that's great. I personally believe that they are a multimillion dollar racket... but hey they know how to coax out the cash by scaring people. And that's just my opinon... I have many friends, especially in Dallas who drop hundreds of dollars for the Black Tie Dinner in Dallas, which is a humongous cash cow for that organization.

If you want to do something for gay rights, go for it. Honestly for me now after years of that, and now in this business, I've become much more interested in first amendment issues.

If you want to do something, I'd suggest at the very first to pick your fights.

Steve

PS: I think the Republicans are going to have a very tough November. Unfortunately on issues like porn, 2257 and the Internet, I'm not so sure you'll find the politics of Democrats much better. Other industries have advocacy organizations to help in this area however.

oh and out of that long winded spiel, my suggestion is that for me I have been satisfied by looking to local things in my local area and or maybe in the state. There's lots of ways to make a difference in stuff.

Just my two cents.