Floridana Alaskiana v2.5

Prickly rose, 30 June 2009

The prickly rose (Rosa acicularis) is our one and only native rose species around Anchorage, Alaska. Fairly common throughout much of southcentral Alaska, the prickly rose is a thorny shrub and typically blooms in June and July. There were innumerable prickly roses in bloom when I hiked around Windy Corner on June 30th.

Western columbine, 30 June 2009

It's time to get back to Windy Corner. Before the recent string of Ordinance 64 and Palin responses, I was in the middle of posting photos from Windy Corner in the Chugach State Park, right here in southcentral Alaska.

Since moving to Alaska from Florida, I've had to adjust my focal points while hiking. Back in Florida, I was always on the look out for critters in the bush. Snakes, lizards, the scurrying and slithering types. But up here in Alaska, I clearly don't have any lizards or snakes to seek out. Sure, there are a few wood frogs from time to time during the summer, but for the most part this is a region dominated by landscapes, by snow and water, and by vegetation. Sure, there's the occasional big mammal, but mostly these hikes are quiet and dominated by the vegetative forms of life.

During the summer, the flowers come out in full force. It's rather staggering to the eyes, the intensity of flowers in Alaska. As I've written before, it's as if the flowers know and understand how short the summer will be, so they try to compensate by being even more extraordinarily beautiful.

I must admit, I'm new to the whole "flower" thing. But my interests in flowers (and in plants generallyl) has been growing ever since moving to Alaska. I only know a few species at this point. Most of the flowers I find I either can't identify at all, or am simply not confident to identify conclusively. Fortunately some flowers, like the one photographed here, the Western columbine (Aquilegia formosa), are unique and quite easy to identify. (I hope I got it right.)

I'm looking forward to the summers ahead of me. Summers hiking with my soon-to-be daughter. I hope to be able her question when she stops me on a trail, points at a flower, and asks, "Daddy, what's that?" I'd like to be able to respond, "That's a Western columbine flower, Aurelia. Isn't it beautiful?"

I also hope my daughter will like hiking... And maybe cameras too. Heh.  Time will tell.

I do adore these trails and can't wait to experience them with a curious, fresh and young mind.

Palin's TwitterBerry Attacks Again!

Sarah Palin just graced Twitter with another dribble of nonsense at 140 characters or less, via TwitterBerry:

AKGovSarahPalin, 
Thu 09 Jul 22:42:

Anxious for Fairbanks radio visit tomorrow re: 2nd Amendment! We have rockin' surprise guest. Candidly, I love radio vs. some newspapers bc...

Three minutes later, she finished her thought:

AKGovSarahPalin, 
Thu 09 July 22:45:

...."Most newspapermen by definition have to be liberal; if they're not, by my definition, they can hardly be good newspapermen" W.Cronkite

Very nice, Governor Palin. Hey, since you're all into pulling out (partial out-of-context) Cronkite quotes to harp on the evil liberal press (and damn that evil liberal Cronkite, who thinks press should be liberal!), why don't you check out this little gem from the New York Times on June 25th of this year:

Walter Cronkite, the CBS News anchorman of the 1960s and ’70s, is seriously ill with cerebrovascular disease and is “not expected to recuperate,” his family members said in a statement Thursday. Recent news media reports have suggested that Mr. Cronkite, 92, is close to death. Family members said they wanted to “dispel false rumors.” “Sadly, he is very ill and is not expected to recuperate; he is resting at home surrounded by family, friends and a wonderful medical team,” Mr. Cronkite’s three children told The New York Post. “We thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes.” The family told the blog TVNewser that Mr. Cronkite had “apparently suffered for some years” from the disease. When Mr. Cronkite was the anchor of “CBS Evening News,” from 1962 to 1981, he was often described as “the most trusted man in America.” His demeanor and values have influenced generations of reporters.

From "Walter Cronkite Is Seriously Ill" by Brian Stelter, 

New York Times, 25 June 2009

click here for original article

Makes me a little sick. 

As my wife said a few minutes ago, way to kick a brother when he's down.

I wonder if Palin even knows what the word "liberal" means, outside of the false oppositional binary of the remedial American political construct of LIBERALS vs. CONSERVATIVES.

Try looking it up in a dictionary. Any dictionary with more words than pictures.

In the context of journalism, science, research, etc, the term is typically used in the context of being open-minded and not bound by traditional or closed world views. In other words, journalists should "think outside the box" and "ask questions". Journalists should think for themselves, rather than unquestioningly eating the shit people feed them. Investigate. Question. Read.

And Cronkite, who's life is coming to an end, stood for those values.

Since when have these been negative values in the press?

My God, Palin. You've got to be smarter than this. You can't truly be this simple-minded and intellectually lazy.

Here's the extended quote, for context. 

Judge for yourself what Cronkite meant by "liberal" by reading the extended quote Palin is pulling from . . . and if that's not enough, take a look at what Cronkite's already said about this issue six years ago.

"I think most newspapermen by definition have to be liberal; if they're not liberal, by definition of it, then they can hardly be good newspapermen. If they're preordained for a cause, then they can't be very good journalists." 

Walter Cronkite, Playboy Magazine interview, June 1973.

Ordinance 64 Continues, 07 July 2009 - Part 05

This is the final post regarding the 07 July 2009 Ordinance 64 activities in Anchorage, Alaska. 

So, the question is: where are we now? The best places to go for updates and info regarding Ordinance 64 are Equality Works and The Alaska Commons. A full list of relevant links is also included near the bottom of this post.  But quickly, here are a few of the main points.

Tonei Glavinic guest-posted a rather useful and concise summary of "round five" on The Alaska Commons blog. Getting us up to speed, Glavinic writes

Early in the meeting, newly returned Assemblyman Matt Claman introduced a pair of amendments to the Municipal Charter which would add sexual orientation to the city’s protected classes and give the Assembly authority to enact appropriate measures to protect people from discrimination on that basis. It takes eight votes to place the charter amendments on the ballot, and Claman struggled even to muster the three votes necessary to schedule a public hearing on the issue. That hearing has been tentatively scheduled for August 11th, which would theoretically give the Assembly time to finish testimony on the proposed ordinance before considering the charter amendments. Jeff Mittman of Equality Works says that the 8/11 meeting will be the next time we need a strong showing of support before the Assembly, although it appears that they will be taking testimony on the ordinance at their July 21 meeting as well.

[Read Tonei Glavinic's Full Article Here]

It's important for concerned Anchorage citizens to communicate with their respective Assembly members between now and August 11th, regardless of which side they support. For those who support the goals of Ordinance 64, Equality Works advocates Assembly Member Patrick Flynn's efforts with the S-2 revision of Ordinance 64. You can find the Anchorage Assembly homepage at www.muni.org/assembly2/index.cfm. On this site, you can find your representative and acquire their contact information. 

August 11th is --as of now-- the next important day to publicly demonstrate at Loussac and to be present at the Anchorage Assembly to support Equal Rights in Anchorage, but communication with your representative is extremely vital. Equality First and other interested parties also encourage you to sign up and "testify" --to share your story-- at the July 21st meeting.

I hope to be there on the 21st, but may not make it (our baby is coming!!!) ~~ But I will definitely be there on the 11th for one simple reason: I support equality. Now.

I believe we are ready. And I believe it is a simple matter of equal opportunity.

Again, to those who have worked so hard this summer (and throughout the years, I might add), I am humbled by your passion, your empathy, and your efforts. The stories you've shared with me have been deeply moving. And your courage is truly inspiring.

Now, the last batch of photos from the 7th:

The opposition to Ordinance 64 conglomerates in front of the door to the lower level at Loussac, where the Anchorage Assembly chamber is located:

One of the few groups of "reds" standing outside on the lawn, far removed from the main group.

An hour or so after the Equality Works meeting on the lawn, a young lad discusses his views with two supporters of Ordinance 64. Later, he would tell me that Obama is worse than Hitler because Obama *might* do very bad things in the future (original reference here)...  (Some discussions are better than others)

Relevant & Associated Links:

• Equality Works.
• Bent Alaska. 
• Alaska Commons. 
• SOS Anchorage. 
• The Mudflats. 
• Henkimaa. 
• Celtic Diva. 
• Progressive Alaska. 
• The Immoral Minority. 

To view all posts on Floridana Alaskiana relating to Ordinance 64 and the Civil Rights push in Anchorage, Alaska, click here:

http://floridana.typepad.com/weblog/for-civil-rights-in-anchorage/

Below is one of my favorite trees in Anchorage. I laid back early in the day and watched the breeze gently drift through the leaves and branches. A moment of calm, a moment of clarity. A moment of simply being. Before the green gave way to the blue and the red.

Ordinance 64 Continues, 07 July 2009 - Part 04

In the photograph below you see the Anchorage Assembly chambers. It's nestled at the base of Loussac Library. This photograph was taken fairly early in the session, a few hours before public testimony began over Ordinance 64. .

Meanwhile, out on the lawn, a small group of demonstrators again signed to passing cars on 36th Avenue. It's an interesting tension. Which is more productive? Sitting in on the actual Anchorage Assembly meeting or standing out and signing for passing cars? Both acts have value. 

At this point in time, most of the "blues" were out on the lawn, demonstrating, while most of the reds were clustered in the shade, somewhere in between. Not quite demonstrating, not quite in the chambers. Just sort of, hunkering around. Like a fortified little group awaiting battle. They brought their signs but, for the most part, didn't bother demonstrating.

Relevant & Associated Links:

• Equality Works.
• Bent Alaska. 
• Alaska Commons. 
• SOS Anchorage. 
• The Mudflats. 
• Henkimaa. 
• Celtic Diva. 
• Progressive Alaska. 
• The Immoral Minority. 

To view all posts on Floridana Alaskiana relating to Ordinance 64 and the Civil Rights push in Anchorage, Alaska, click here:

http://floridana.typepad.com/weblog/for-civil-rights-in-anchorage/ 

I am moved by the number of young activists fighting for their futures.

Ordinance 64 Continues, 07 July 2009 - Part 03

And now we arrive at the actual demonstrations outside Loussac on the 7th. This evening was far less active and crowded than others. The lawn was mostly populated with supporters of Ordinance 64, mostly decked out in bluish tones. A few red-shirted dissenters ambled about, but most of them seemed to hang back closer to Loussac itself, no doubt waiting their turn to testify and/or to disagree with those who would testify in favor of the Ordinance. 

Once again, I was rather moved by the general sense of optimism and good cheer by the supporters of the Ordinance. And a bit disappointed in the vitriol that came from the other side. More than a few advocates were actively engaging discussion, trying to negotiate the logic with their opposition. But the dominant view from the opposition was that a.) homosexuality is a sin, and that b.) discrimination should be legally supported. 

The first point is unarguable. You can't really debate somebody's faith. Not really. And honestly, it's beside the point when it comes to United States legal code, federal or state. We can't legislate from one Holy text. 

But the second point is arguable. It's a matter of law, of equal rights, of American justice. Still, some folks are unwilling to recognize that this is not, in fact, a Church-State with a single mandated religion dictating law.

I was not surprised to yet again see the woman in the photo below. I'd seen her before, during the last event, carrying the same sign. I even shot some video of her walking around, preaching to some advocates, "I'm sorry, I don't love you guys . . . male and a female, I obey that! That's law!" The problem is, nobody's telling her she can't obey that religious doctrine. Nobody's telling her that she has to love another woman. Nobody's telling her she has to be gay. It's completely beside the point. The issue isn't that she has to "love you guys" or "gays" or whatever.  The issue is that in the United States, you cannot legally discriminate against another person when it diminishes their equal and opportune rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. She simply doesn't understand --and has no interest in understanding-- what this movement is all about.

After three of these public demonstrations outside Loussac, as the testimonies continued on and on inside with the Anchorage Assembly, I found myself again humbled and moved by the steady, calm resolve of those who advocate equal opportunity and non-discrimination. I'm particularly moved by the fact that so many advocates for Ordinance 64 still genuinely try to engage their opposition in conversation, to try to share their perspective. In most cases (but not all), these attempts are met with a brick wall of hubris and a rampant waving of scripture. 

There is so little interest in even understanding where the anti-discrimination side is coming from. There is so little compassion, so little empathy, so little regard, so little respect. 

Later, I listened in on a conversation between an Ordinance 64 supporter and a young Christian dissenter. When the young lad was asked what the actual harm would be to society if Ordinance 64 were to be passed, outside of his God's moral judgment, he quickly began his response with these words: 

"If we allow you..."  

And that said it all.  If we allow you. In other words, from the viewpoint of this young man, he is the Master. And the LGBT community is subservient to the Master. We've heard this before in the fight for Civil Rights.

If we allow you to read...

If we allow you to own property...

If we allow you to vote...

If we allow you to...

It's a sad phrase in American history, If we allow you to... But, fortunately, it's one that usually precedes social progress and change. Regardless of race, regardless of sex, regardless of religion:

We are all allowed to read.

You are all allowed to own property.

You are all allowed to vote.

You are all... equal in the eyes of the law.

The same will soon be true for all regardless of orientation or gender identity. 

Relevant & Associated Links:

• Equality Works.
• Bent Alaska. 
• Alaska Commons. 
• SOS Anchorage. 
• The Mudflats. 
• Henkimaa. 
• Celtic Diva. 
• Progressive Alaska. 
• The Immoral Minority. 

To view all posts on Floridana Alaskiana relating to Ordinance 64 and the Civil Rights push in Anchorage, Alaska, click here: 

http://floridana.typepad.com/weblog/for-civil-rights-in-anchorage/

Note the temperature: a balmy 80 degrees! Not long before this photo, it was all the way up to 82. IN Anchorage, this is hot!

Ordinance 64 Continues, 07 July 2009 - Part 02

I begin the second post of this series with a story.

A few years ago, sometimes around 1999 or 2000, a friend of mine and I went hiking in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in southcentral Oklahoma. I had spent a good amount of my life in Oklahoma, but never really identified with the state. Except for this one region, that of the Wichita Mountains. It's an amazingly beautiful area, rich with eco-diversity and wide open spaces. The mountains themselves are ancient and almost completely erased. All that remains is a cluster of rocky hills spread out through the vast, flat plains. A series of deep ravines cut through the landscape, providing lush nourishment for the wildlife trying to scratch out a living in the otherwise harsh region. 

I was anxious and giddy to show my dear friend this area. 

We hiked through a beautiful creek-carved ravine, looking for Eastern collared lizards and, of course, beautiful landscapes. We eventually made our way up to this one particular little nook overlooking the ravine and the other side of the creek. Soon enough we noticed we weren't alone.

A group of kids, about five of them, were hanging out on the other side of the ravine. They had a video camera and were shooting some kind of Indiana Jones spoof. The tallest of the kids, probably about sixteen, had a fake Fedora and a rope doubling as a whip. We watched them, amused, from our nook, letting the soft Oklahoma breeze cool us down in the shade. 

As is often the case with youth, the kids soon lost their focus and simply started goofing around. One of the boys moved over to the edge of their side of the ravine and spotted a gorgeous Eastern collared lizard far below, perched on a rock, basking in sunlight. It was an awesomely fortified position. With the exception of a stealthy hawk, no predator could get to this lizard because of the middle-ground position. Lots of space above, lots of space below, with plenty of nooks to hide in. 

And then, for reasons I cannot comprehend, the kid decided to drop a rock on the lizard.

I watched, horrified, as the rock fell toward the lizard. It was almost as if it were in slow motion. And then? Then the rock hit the lizard, dead on. After being smashed beneath the falling rock, the lizard bounced off the boulder and fell down the side of the ravine. He was probably dead before he even hit the base of the ravine, bouncing to his final resting position.

I was enraged.

I left my friend at the nook and furiously scrambled down the edge, crossed the creek, and started scaling the other side. It wasn't a safe climb, but I was too angry to care. The kids clearly saw me coming. As I came over the edge to their side of the ravine, they were all standing, close to each other, almost huddled, facing me. Their faces were frozen. They were afraid.

I yelled at them, harshly, and tore into them, "Why did you do that? Why did you fucking that? Why fucking kill that lizard? What are you guys doing out here? Why are you here?"

The tall kid, the kid wearing the fake Fedora and the bullwhippish rope, resonded,

"We're making a video for our Church Group."

I was literally at a loss for words. Making a video for a Church Group?

I then noticed the t-shirts, the Christian iconography. I paced around for a moment, huffing my arms in overly-dramatic exasperation. The kids continued to watch me, quite freaked out. "And this is what your church teaches you? To kill fucking animals? For no reason?"

"I didn't mean to do it," the young kid who had killed the lizard said.

"Then why the fuck did you fucking drop a rock on it?"

The kid said nothing. I paced for another moment, literally unable to negotiate the situation, to find any kind of meaning or argument. There was nothing that could be said.

These so-called Christians simply didn't respect or value the world in which they live. To the boy with the rock, the lizard was nothing but a speck of shit. A thing to be destroyed. Were these kids really Christians? They couldn't even respect the value of the creatures their Creator made. They didn't apologize. They didn't express remorse. They were simply concerned with their own well-being.

I have no grudge against hunting, I really don't. But this wasn't hunting. This was killing for the sake of killing. For enjoyment. For pleasure. Just 'cause.

There was nothing I could say to these kids, so I left (more slowly than before) and rejoined my friend. The Indiana Jones Church Kids were gone when I looked back, understandably.

I don't judge or value people on labels. I value them based on their actions. I've known many good Christians in this life. People who have a deep and inspiring love for their God, for their Neighbors, and for the world around them. Tolerance. Respect. But it's not being called a "Christian" that makes them beautiful to me. It's their actions. 

The label "Christian" means nothing to me. What matters to me is what you choose to do with you life, how you choose to live your life, with your actions. Do you try to live your life with respect, dignity and compassion? Or do you actively try to discriminate, oppress, dehumanize, insult, or hurt those around you because you disagree with their lifestyle?  Of course, in reality, we're all a mix of those two extremes. Nobody's perfect and we're all deeply flawed beings. But I do believe that we, as humans endowed with Free Will, choose which direction we strive for. Do we try to be better? Or do we try to appear better by way of demeaning and dehumanizing others?

Here's my point, in the context of this post:  I have absolutely no problem with Christianity in and of itself. No problem at all.  My problem is with Christians who are so quick to judge and to demean others, while clearly not even understanding the lessons of Jesus Christ, their supposed savior. I have a problem with people who claim to love God, and yet have so little respect for all of God's Creations. I have a problem with people call themselves Christian, but don't act like Christians. I have a problem with people who wear that label --"Christian"-- as if it's a golden ticket to overlord and legislate the identities and morality of others.

And the people who were most respectful, most tolerant, most open-minded and most loving at the Ordinance 64 demonstrations and testimonies on July 7th of 2009 in Anchorage, Alaska were not the so-called Christian folk. They were the people of Equality Works and the ACLGBT movement. These are the people who value and respect the world around them. These are the people who are fighting for equal opportunity. These are the people whose actions point to a future based more on love, respect, tolerance, and equality. Religious freedom, economic freedom, personal freedom. These are the people who accept and embrace diversity, by whatever means of Creation they may believe in. 

They don't preach fear. They don't preach hate. Some identify themselves as Christian, others do not. But they all respect each other and celebrate their diversity.

Labels mean nothing. Action means everything.

It's what you do with your life that counts, not what you call yourself.

I admire and thank those who have faced such brutal language and judgment in their struggle for equal opportunity in this community, this country, and elsewhere. I admire those who refuse to be smashed by the vitriolic fear and hatred of those who claim to love God, but clearly don't love all God's Creations.

That's my first impression of the Equality Works and AKLGBT community of Anchorage, Alaska. They're beauty, courage, compassion and resolve is deeply inspiring and give me hope for the world my daughter will grow up in.

 

Relevant and Associated Links:

• Equality Works.
• Bent Alaska. 
• Alaska Commons. 
• SOS Anchorage. 
• The Mudflats. 
• Henkimaa. 
• Celtic Diva. 
• Progressive Alaska. 
• The Immoral Minority. 

To view all posts on Floridana Alaskiana relating to Ordinance 64 and the Civil Rights push in Anchorage, Alaska, click here:

http://floridana.typepad.com/weblog/for-civil-rights-in-anchorage/

Ordinance 64 Continues, 07 July 2009 - Part 01

I've got five posts lined up for Tuesday's Ordinance 64 activities. I'll be posting them throughout the the next few days. Each post is going to begin with a photo of some flowers outside Loussac Library. This is to remind me of two things: beauty and diversity. Two things I value deeply. And two things the opposition to Ordiance 64 seem to know nothing about.

I have to admit, as this battle has continued to roll on throughout the summer of 2009, I find myself having a harder time being tolerant of the opposition. On Facebook, on Twitter, and in face-to-face dialogues, I've been amazed by both the fundamentally unsound logic and the intolerant, abusive language of the conservative opposition. 

A few weeks ago on my Facebook wall, a guy from Jacksonville took to instigating blowback on my page. For no reason whatsoever, he started in on "Algore," Global-warming-is-a-myth, liberals-are-angry, and so on when I simply posted an opinion-free photograph of a piece of ice floating in Portage Lake. For some reason, he just started in with some shallow, hollow, conservative sniping. You know, the usual shit. Of course, a few threads later and after saying that liberals are humorless, blah blah blah, he took a lot of heat and reactionary (and yes, abusive) language from my friends. My Facebook Antagonist is right, when it comes to environmental destruction and trite character attacks, we don't find it amusing. So, of course, he then played the victim. See, liberals are angry! 

I couldn't help but to wonder why... Why does this guy invite blowback and then complain? 

Later, on his wall, he proudly posted

had a fun day posting today. Ticked off a bunch of liberals in Alaska, and took a lot of foul-mouthed abused, just for being a conservative who disagreed with them.

Of course, that's an extremely simplified and sanitized representation of his own actions. He didn't exactly provide the full context of the situation to his friends.  Of course.

Later, a friend of his replied, 

Lol! WHERE were you doing this fun stuff?? And why was I not invited!? lol!

I've had many friends who are conservative, and I respect and admire their convictions. We can debate, discuss, make some good points, progress each others' views, and disagree with each other. We can have respectful, informed discussions. Sometimes emotions will take over, but usually we'll then kiss and make up. In America, we're not all supposed to agree. But we are supposed to be open-minded and respectful of each others' views.

But these people? The people who simply rail on their own beliefs with little regard for the concerns or views of others? Or those who think it's all just fun-n-games and can't put a reasonable argument together with a compass, a map and a pitchfork (as Steven Martin once said in another context)? These people are either completely insensitive and self-serving or stark raving mad in their confusion and fear. And it's really, really getting to me.

As a side note, I eventually defriended my Jacksonville Antagonist. I just don't have the time or energy to deal with his bullshit any longer. I wish him well, but do not wish to live in the same online neighborhood. And I certainly hope he wasn't HERE last weekend...

So, Ordinance 64, an attempt in Anchorage to protect the LGBT community (and others) from discrimination in the workplace and in the economy, continues to be debated, continues to (de)volve. 

Until now I've been posting these photos mostly without commentary, simply providing links to sites I believe should be read by interested persons. This round, however, I'm going to include some context and information with each post. I will also include links at the end of each post to sources far more reputable and informed than myself. 

I must admit, as the birth of my daughter draws nearer, I find myself more assertively horrified at the potential world she may grow up in. It's not enough to simply witness or document the world unfolding. The kind of archaic intolerance I've engaged with this summer must not determine and govern the country our daughters and sons will grow up in. We must stand our ground, push back, and create an environment that fosters and nurtures diversity and protects all of our citizens, regardless of sexual orientation or religious preference. Human rights and equal opportunity trump any one individual's religious selfhood. We are a nation of laws and justice -- and this is in order to protect us all, the majority and the minority. And these values most certainly trump the false god that is money, the number one secular justification for discrimination provided by the fundamentalist Christian opposition, who claim to believe in only one god.

These photos are from the Equality Works meeting held on the lawn outside the Z. J. Loussac Public Library. Inside, the Anchorage Assembly meeting had already begun, though the next round of public testimonies over Ordinance 64 would not begin for awhile yet. Equality Works describes their identity and purpose as follows: Equality Works is a group of individuals and organizations working together to protect Anchorage residents from discrimination and harassment, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The site lists four fundamental beliefs shared by its members

1. We believe that Anchorage workers deserve to be judged solely on their qualifications and merits of their work.
2. We believe that all Alaskans deserve protection from discrimination or harassement. 
3. We believe that no Alaskan should have to deny who they are in order to keep a job or an apartment. 
4. We believe Equality Works. 

Sounds like evil, angry liberal values to me. 

The push for equal rights, protections, and opportunities is a long and hard narrative. I've heard stories in the past few months that are haunting, saddening, and devastating. Stories of lawsuits, evictions, and firings... People's livelihoods and their very lives shattered by open, bald-faced discrimination, intolerance and hatred.  

As I heard one woman tell a group of giddy, laughing, prancing red-shirt Christian kids carrying a sign that read Don't Hate the Straight a few weeks ago, "This isn't a joke! This isn't funny! This is my life!" 

The kids laughed at her. 

How very Christian of them.

This is what Equality Works is up against. This is what we are all up against. At least, those of us who value the Declaration of Independence, which begins

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

This is what Equality Works is fighting for. Equal opportunity --not special rights-- in the pursuit of happiness, liberty and a a fair life.

Relevant & Associated Links:

• Equality Works.
• Bent Alaska. 
• Alaska Commons. 
• SOS Anchorage. 
• The Mudflats. 
• Henkimaa. 
• Celtic Diva. 
• Progressive Alaska. 
• The Immoral Minority. 

To view all posts on Floridana Alaskiana relating to Ordinance 64 and the Civil Rights push in Anchorage, Alaska, click here:

http://floridana.typepad.com/weblog/for-civil-rights-in-anchorage/ 

Obama and Hitler, oh my...

Got back from today's Ordinance 64 ordeal at the Loussac Library in Anchorage earlier this evening. Much less active than previous gatherings and the debate still continues inside with the Anchorage Assembly. More fear, more loathing, more frightened conservatives afraid that "gay rapists" will invade their bathrooms and steal their children. It's very strange, the arguments these dissenters keep making. And very sad. Such a deep and profound misunderstanding of human nature, equal opportunity, equal rights, and... well, the very concept of the United States itself.

I'll have a more-thorough post tomorrow, with photos covering the event.

But I do want to mention this:

A dissenter of Ordinance 64, a young Christian lad who is against equal opportunity and protection because apparently Jesus doesn't like gays and the United States is and always has been a Church-State, told me that Obama is worse than Hitler. When I asked him how in the world Obama is worse than Hitler, he told me because Obama might do really bad things sometime in the future.

And that, folks, is what we're fighting against. That's the kind of broken, fragmented logic and irrationality we're trying to break through.

More tomorrow.

CLICK HERE to see all video and photos on this site relating to the civil rights push in Anchorage, Alaska. And if you live in Anchorage, please engage in this debate, whether or not you believe what I believe. As citizens we should all be engaged. Of course, I hope you'd come down on the side for equal rights, but that's up to you to decide. I just hope we could all be a bit more rational in our logic.

Also: I apologize for the batshit crazy length of the previous post. It was late and I think I caught whatever bug's made Palin so crazy this week. I couldn't stop writing... You betcha.

On Sarah Palin & The Word Salad Logic of the Postmodern Condition; Or, How I Learned To Accept and Embrace The Madness. (So Sue Me)

Okay, so I don't usually go too political with this blog. I tend to try to keep this blog focused on photography, wildlife, landscapes... stuff like that. Oh sure, occasionally I'll dip my toes into the political swirl. It was hard not to during the last election, with so much at stake. And sure, occasionally Sarah Palin, my soon-to-be-Ex-Governor, says something so bat shit crazy I can't help but to post it... But for the most part, I try to keep the blog fairly clear of The Grande Politik. There are others far more qualified to offer insight and political perspective (some of whom, incidentally, are linked at the bottom of this post). 

But still...

This has been one of those weeks and I've just got to unload. 

PART ONE: 

Michael Jackson's Still Dead and Sarah Palin's Gone Batshit Crazy.

Unless you're Michael Jackson or you've been living in a cave (yeah, I'm lookin' at you, Cheney), last Friday Sarah Palin dropped yet another bombshell and announced to the press (and an impressive group of Canadian geese) that not only would she not be running for re-election in Alaska, but that she was also resigning in two short weeks. WTF?  Here's the speech, with the Canadian Geese and PalinLogic wrapped up together, via YouTube & CNN:

Okay, so if you made it all the way through, you just heard what was later dubbed "Word Salad" by Alaskan blogger, Shannyn Moore. But we'll get to Moore in a minute.

This "speech" was quickly and widely panned by... well, pretty much everybody. Everybody, that is, except for those who worship all things Palin. How to describe this speech? Rambling, disjointed, strange, bizarre? The logic was rather broken. I'm not a quitter! And to prove this, I quit!  Facts were a little less than honest and fair. And then there are the basketballs, the troops, the kids... And those geese. Always those geese!  It was a surreal, utterly perplexing, guttershock of bizarre behavior coupled with some of the worst language I've yet to hear from my soon-to-be-Ex-governor. She made George W. sound like Shakespeare. It was astonishing.

And then there's the actual transcript of the speech released by the Palin camp. The text is marred by bizarre uses of capitalization, strange sentence structures. It's a text of chaos. Nay, it is a celebration of chaos! Consider this immaculate use of the English language from our soon-to-be-Ex-Governor, Sarah Palin here. And I quote

My decision was also fortified during this most recent trip to Kosovo and Landstuhl, to visit our wounded soldiers overseas, those who sacrifice themselves in war for OUR freedom and security… we can ALL learn from our selfless Troops… they’re bold, they don’t give up, they take a stand and know that LIFE is short so they choose to NOT waste time. They choose to be productive and to serve something greater than SELF... and to build up their families, their states, our country. These Troops and their important missions – those are truly the worthy causes in this world and should be the public priority with time and resources and NOT this local / superficial wasteful political bloodsport.

May we ALL learn from them!

*((Gotta put First Things First))*

First things first: as Governor, I love my job and I love Alaska. It hurts to make this choice but I am doing what’s best for Alaska. I’ve explained why… though I think of the saying on my parents’ refrigerator that says “Don’t explain: your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe you anyway.”

Reading the actual text, I was in awe.  Rather, I was in a state of shock and awe.

In an article entitled "Sarah Palin Turns Pro", Paul Begala opens with the line, "I wish Hunter S. Thompson had lived to see this." Indeed. Me too. Begala continues, "As Hunter said, 'When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.'" After briefly analyzing (*destroying*) Palin's speech, he concludes

We will all KNOW the "rest of the Story" *((SOON!))*

Indeed. And that's part of the issue. The speech was so fundamentally childish, so deeply irrational and chaotic, you can't help but to wonder, Has she gone batshit crazy? What the hell is going on here? Thus, naturally, without surprise, the news media and blogosphere erupted into a flurry of activity, trying to figure out

a.) Why is she resigning? and

b.) What the fuck did she just say? Did anyone get that?

Up here in Alaska, we've been hearing rumor upon rumor upon rumor for months -- many, many months. Potential scandals, potential investigations, potential meltdowns, and on and on and on. For us, we've been on Palin Alert since she took office -- and especially after she took McCain's bait and played hail mary for the GOP presidential ticket in 2008.

Given Palin's near-psychotic Spalkovian-drive to hold dominion over us all, the fact that she was resigning seemed... a bit unlike her. You see, for many of us, Palin's nothing more than an opportunist. She does what best serves Palin. It's not the first case of this in American Politics, of course. But she's rather ruthless in her self-satisfaction, self-serving and goal-setting actions. And her ego? It's legendary. So, it's really all about Palin. Then, if she can help someone else too? Well, it might be done. Or it might not. But first and foremost is Sarah Palin's own immediacy. And, of course, we wanted to know, why is she screwing herself? But that is to assume her aspiration is the 2012 election for the White House. 

There are other possible motives.

-- Maybe she wants to hit FoxNews and get a show? Rake in millions of bucks before The Decline and Fall that is inevitably going to happen when she is no longer a viable candidate for 2012?

-- Maybe she wants to tour for the Republican Party for the conservatives? A kind of red-blooded, Bono-esque, Maverich(!) figure doing the circuit tours? And rake in millions of bucks, certainly.

-- Maybe she needs to make money to pay for potential legal defenses? For scandals yet to surface? For impending legal disasters?

-- Or maybe she just went batshit crazy and wants to live with the grizzlies? Live out her own weird Into the Wild narrative?

Who the hell knows.  But you know what? We have had these rumblings up here for a long time... In the supermarkets, at parties, in the parks... Folks love to play "what if" with Sarah Palin. No matter how batshit crazy the scenario, with Palin it's actually possible.

And that's where we come to the next segment.

PART TWO: 

It's the 4th of July, Screw Freedom of Speech!

We awaken to first learn that Michael Jackson is still dead. And after a day of speculations, musings, and futile attempts to take Palin's broken logic and put it back together by a most-confused and wigged out blogosphere, the Palin camp then came out with a four-page legal threat on the 4th of July to those evil-doers (i.e., "liberal bloggers") who have questioned her actions and reported the fact that there are, in fact, rumors of investigations about Palin. In Alaska, we know a little something about dirty politics and ethics violations. Of course there are rumors and of course we are talking about them.

In this legal threat, Palin's attorney, one Thomas Van Flein, specifically charged an Alaskan blogger and contributor to the Huffingon Post, Shannyn Moore, for reporting known falsehoods, and thus defamatory comments. Problem is, Moore didn't present these rumors as facts. She presented the fact that there are rumors. Which, again, there are. It was a strangely aggressive and nasty attack on Moore's 1st Amendment rights on --that's right-- the 4th of July.  

How very patriotic.

And again, how very strange. 

Moore replied rather sharply, "A lot of people died for my right to free speech, so suck it up, buttercup." 

This did not go over so well for some. For others?  Oh yeah...  It was a defiant stance against the juggernaut of S. S. Palin's ego. Moore was calling the bluff and virtually daring Palin to take further action. The comment received immediate and swift national attention, from supporters to dissenters alike. All of a sudden, Moore was becoming the focus of the story. For many, she became everything that Sarah Palin pretended to be. A strong, defiant agent for truth.

The debate exploded. Everywhere. All over the place.

PART THREE: 

The National Discourse, The Grande Politik!

July 5th. The Day After The Day After.

On the 5th, Moore read a prepared statement in front of Palin's Anchorage office (her main office is, of course, in the state capital of Juneau, located too far from her hometown of Wasilla).  

Moore said

On the Fourth of July, when Americans everywhere were celebrating our most sacred national holiday with parades and barbeques, Governor Sarah Palin was busy having me, Shannyn Moore, declared an Enemy of the State.

In a rambling quasi-legal letter, the most powerful person in this state accused me of defaming her for pointing out the fact that there have been rumors, -rumors- of corruption, rumors that have been around for years.

When Sarah Palin gave her three-weeks notice to the people of Alaska, aborting her term as Governor, a lot of people wondered why she quit.  Mid-level managers turn-in their notice, not elected public officials.  It didn’t make sense.  It still doesn’t.  People have been trying to guess why she really quit, and everyone in Alaska has been playing the guessing game.  They’re rumors. There are a lot of rumors.  And with all the corruption we’ve had here in Alaska, of course we wonder what’s really behind her resignation.

Governors don’t just quit.  But Governor Palin did.

The governor’s massive overreaction -on the Fourth of July no less- should make any reasonable person wonder what’s wrong with her.  The Lady protests way too much.  Eventually we’ll all find out why she really walked off the job.

Sarah Palin is a coward and a bully.  What kind of politician attacks an ordinary American on the Fourth of July for speaking her mind?  What’s wrong with her?  The First Amendment was designed to protect people like me from the likes of people like her.  Our American Revolution got rid of kings.  And queens, too.  Am I jacked-up? You betcha.

Sarah Palin, if you have a problem with me, then sue me.  Shannyn Moore will not be muzzled!

Again, Moore defiantly stood before the massive ego of Palin and simply did not blink. And thus, the debate continued to rise. The blogosphere was afire with debate, dialogue, and discourse! But mostly just insults. And lots of venom. Plus, a good amount of good old fashioned American ignorance.

Over at the Fairbanks News Miner, as the good folks over at Alaska Commons brought to my attention, a discussion over an article entitled "Liberal blogger says Palin won't silence her" began to brew. It's a short, leaning-right description of the debate, but what caught our attention was the first (of many) comments posted that night. An individual named Prospector wrote at 4:28 pm on the 5th,

This is actually a very pertinent and important issue. Free speech only deals with the spoken word, not the written word. Therefore, is an internet blog covered under the free press clause?

My initial reaction to such a comment (only partially quoted here) is: wow, that's fucking crazy! My second reaction is a bit more serious: How sad. How deeply, utterly sad. How futile, how lost, how... completely wrong some people are. Later in the unfolding debate, Prospector (after being corrected) conceded that his language wasn't quite clear. That that's not his point. But I still find this first part of his comment --the first in the thread-- to be extremely representative of so much that is wrong in this country at this moment in time. So many people simply don't understand what their own constitutional freedoms are or what they mean. And further, they don't care that they don't know. Granted, I'm pulling Prospector's point out of context, but you get my drift. 

But wait! There's more!

Meanwhile, over on Twitter, AKGovSarahPalin was still busy twittering away to all her fans. Here are some choice tweets from the AKGov herself:

As has been the case for decades, family is commercial fishing in Bristol Bay-I look forward to joinging the work crew for 1 day picking fish. AKGovSarahPalin, Sun 05 Jul 12:54 via TwitterBerry.

and

Grateful Todd left fishing grnds to join me this wkend; but now he's back slaying salmon & working the kids @ the site; anxious to join' em! AKGovSarahPalin, Sun 05 Jul 13:01 via TwitterBerry.

I was, of course, intrigued by the image of Todd Palin slaying salmon. I imagined him with a long knife, slicing and dicing a still-breathing salmon like Jason from Friday the 13th, or Hannibal Lecter, or... well, just as Todd Palin, AK Macho Man #1. What a choice of word, "slaying".  

So, I got curious. I wondered, where did Palin send this tweet from?  

On some Twitter clients, you can actually geotag your entries. So, I clicked the geotag link on my iPhone to see if Palin's TwitterBerry account had GPS activated. Sure enough, it did! But I was slightly confused by the locale that turned up: somewhere near Talcahuano, Chile. That's South America's Chile. You know, that country just to the left of Argentina?

WTF? 

Why was Palin's TwitterBerry post pinging back to Talcahuana, Chile, a bit south of Santiago? Wasn't she in west Alaska? What's going on?

So, being the evil-liberal conspiracy theorist that I am, I drew up a list of potential scenarios, with some help of some friends on Facebook:

1. Sarah Palin is in Chile, searching for the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in hopes of discovering an ancient, alien technology that will easily and quickly give her both knowledge and power. Then, she will rule the world!

2. Sarah Palin is en route to Argentina, to "hike the Appalachian Trail".

3. Sarah Palin isn't twittering her own tweets. She's got some random dude doing it from a Blackberry in Chile.

4. The technology is completely wacked and I've gone batshit crazy.

I'm still waiting for her to tweet again so I can double-check for geotag update. As of 13:01 on Sunday, AKGovSarahPalin hasn't yet posted again. Suspicious! I hope #1 and #4 aren't true. If either of them are, I've probably been permanently Palinized. And thus, have gone mad. 

But, then again, you know... there's not very good reception along the Appalachian Trail...

PART FOUR: 

Olbermann and the Word Salad

On Monday, with Michael Jackson still being in a condition of deadness, the world continued to spin. As one would expect, the cable news world was all over the Palin/Moore clash of the titans. The blogosphere continued to write and read, read and write. Where would this go? And where is Palin? What's going on? Questions leading only to more questions, with occasional cutaways to the forthcoming Memorial Service on Tuesday for Michael Jackson, who remains unalive.

But there was one little moment of clarity. 

Shannyn Moore's story was picked up by Keith Olbermann on MSNBC. During Monday's show, Moore was featured and interviewed. Watch Moore's response and compare her poise and control of language with that of Palin's. Moore describes Palin's speech as having been "word salad" -- which is probably my new favorite term. Ever. 

Say it with me:  WORD SALAD. Nice!

Take a look at the segment:

What a difference. What a stark, complete and total difference.

I'm not sure what's to come of this, but I do know this: if Sarah Palin actually believes that she can successfully sue Shannyn Moore for exercising her 1st Amendment Rights, she's going to hit a brick wall called the United State Constitution and The American Public. 

Shannyn Moore is not alone. Legions of people have contacted her and offered their support. She is not alone. And she will not be beaten by someone who clearly holds little value in the fundamentals of freedom in this country.  I hope you will support the freedom of those around you, regardless of your own political views, to speak their mind, to exercise their freedom of speech, and to participate in the voice of democracy.

As a nation, we were founded with the assumption that the American people would want to voice their dissent, to voice their opinions. We are supposed to disagree and to rationally debate. The very idea of wanting to silence those who oppose you should be grounds to nullify serious consideration for public office in the United State of America.

Once she gets some free time on her hands (which should be in, oh, about two weeks), I hope Palin will seriously read and study the United States Constitution. And hell, maybe even the Declaration of Independence. Learn a little. And perhaps open that mind up a bit. Accept the fact that people will disagree with you and understand that when you say batshit crazy things in the public space, the public will undoubtedly respond, what the fuck is wrong with you?

To do otherwise is reckless and fundamentally un-American.

EPILOGUE: 

Where we're at *((NOW))*

There's more to come, of course, in this neverending epic that is Palinalia. As of this writing, Palin's still searching for the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Moore continues to pick up support. Words are being typed (like these), views are being expressed. And some folks are working hard to muster more spit and venom. Others are seeking objective truth, getting to the bottom of things as they actually are. Oh yes, there's much activity out there. And there are moves waiting to be taken, truths waiting to be learned. As Begala says

We will all KNOW the "rest of the Story" *((SOON!))*

A trend is growing for people to contact Governor Palin in any way possible and to say, "Sue Me."  Who knows, if she really has gone batshit crazy, maybe she will try to sue the planet?  We'll see.

Also, Michael Jackson is still dead.

LINKS: 

Smarter People with Smarter Things to Say

If you're interested in learning more about these events from the perspectives of progressive Alaskan bloggers, check out the following links:

• Shannyn Moore: Just A Girl From Homer.
• Progressive Alaska. 
• Immoral Minority. 
• Mudflats. 
• Alaska Commons. 
• SOS Anchorage. 
• Henkimaa. 

TUESDAY UPDATE:

Saw this linked via Immoral Minority. You must watch the whole video. It will blow your fragile little mind:

Wow. 

Windy Corner, 30 June 2009

Rocks. I have a new appreciation of rocks.

In Florida, of course, we don't have much in the way of rocks. The entire Floridian peninsula is essentially built on a complex, fragile and brittle limestone bedrock. The ground is extremely porous and sometimes even collapses into the even-more-complex and expansive aquifer beneath, forming springs and sinkholes. I didn't grow up with real rocks.

In Alaska? It's a different story. This region is one dominated by rock and by water. It's a region of vast geologic history and the Chugach Mountains are certainly no exception. Rather, they are beautifully representative of what surrounds us here in Anchorage. Mountains to the north, the south, the east and the west.

From a distance, the mountains are startlingly beautiful. But look closer. Even on the rock, life grows.

Similar as with Florida, water does change and impact the rock; however, unlike Florida these rocks put up a fight. It takes ages and ages of water, wind and geologic activity to impact and carve out these rocks. This is a hard land, an old land, a tough and stubborn land.

Occasionally, strange jagged boulders point to the sky. Other rocks are nearly overgrown by vegetation desperately clinging to and growing from the loose soil strung out around the rock. It's a different way of life on and around the rocks. And I'm only just now beginning to understand and truly appreciate these rocks.

Windy Corner, 30 June 2009

And back to Alaska ~~

On the 30th, I headed down to Windy Corner along the Seward Highway and Turnagain Arm. Windy Corner is one of many waypoints, along Turnagain Arm, connecting to the vast Chugach State Park region. A number of trails wind through the mountains along Turnagain Arm and I will probably spend the rest of my life exploring them without ever really seeing it all. There's so much to see...

The first stretch of the Windy Corner Trail (which then hooks up with the Turnagain Arm trail) is mostly an ascent. Pretty soon you'll find yourself with a view of the Arm well above the highway. The rocky bluffs along the Seward Highway contrast and echo the Kenai Peninsula just over the water. And if you aren't sure why this area is called "Windy Corner," you'll quickly figure it out as the Turnagain breezes start kicking your ass. But don't worry, you're not alone. Pretty soon you'll start noticing how many of the trees are a bit misshapen, a result of the nearly constant gusts and winds.

There's much more to this trail, of course. Thick forests, pockets of Devil's Club and carpets of ferns. Waterfalls, shaded nooks. Singing birds and black bears. Yeah, as I soon learned, Windy Corner is much more than a windy corner along the Seward Highway. It's a lush and vibrant area of the Chugach State Park. And Reason #274 I can't believe I actually live here. It's gorgeous!