Al Gore Wants A Revolution, A Real One

No one in the media seems to have noticed that the former Vice President of the United States and former President Elect (not sworn in), Al Gore is calling for revolution, as reported in Aljazeera English. He is quoted as saying he wants to see an "American Spring" ala Arab Spring, modeled after what happened in Tunisia and Egypt...a fucking revolution! At least, so far, as is so typical of Democrats, he hasn't bowed from the ankles or licked Rupert Murdoch's ass after saying something real. So, he apparently recognizes that our system has failed the people and holds no hope for producing the kind of government that will meet the needs of the vast majority of Americans. It has been a thirty year downhill slide starting with the neocon puppet, Reagan with successively crazier Republican and successively weaker Democratic presidents. We all know it. No matter who we put in power we get the same shit.

For two years, the Democrats had complete control of the federal government. What did we get?:

• No desperately-needed liberalization of labor laws
• No minimum wage increase
• Extension of unaffordable tax cuts for the wealthy
• Continuation of two costly, unnecessary wars
• Continued illegal operation of a concentration camp at Guantanamo
• Continuation of illegal domestic wire tapping
• Failure to hold Bush war criminals to account
• Extension of unconstitutional "Patriot Act"
• No universal healthcare
• Jailing of single payer healthcare advocates
• No prosecutions of "financial crisis" criminals
• No halt to the hemoraging of American jobs to other countries
• Harry-it's-too-politically-difficult-our-hands-are-tied-Reid

The repeal of DADT was their highest profile accomplishment. This long overdue, "daring" move was supported by nearly the whole fucking population. Way to fight for it Dems!

The mass media is owned or controlled, in it's entirety, by right wing Republicans. All of it, including "Public Media" is a propaganda machine for right wing principles, so there are always just enough numb skulls to keep the vote close enough to be easily stolen by Republican-owned voting machines and election officials. We don't even bother to contest it anymore.

So, wages are falling; Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are under attack and hanging by a thread because they make the people too secure to be completely enslaved; our personal communications, finances, medical records and even physical movements are laid bare to government surveillance; our born-in-the-USA citizenship can be erased by the stroke of a pen from any Attorney General (didn't know that, did you?) and no matter who we vote for, nothing changes.

Revolution? Viva Gore!

BLOW ME kisses

As you may know, I am proud to be the Senate author of a bill to repeal DOMA, now that the Dems are finally out of power and it doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of passing. And I want you to know, my GLBTLMNOP friends, that no matter how long it takes to repeal this awful law (which will be a long time because the Republicans hate you more than we Dems do and even if the Dems do regain power it will of course be too "politically difficult" to pass), we (meaning I), will continue to reap the political benefits of carrying this bill without actually having to risk a goddamn thing for you. Meanwhile, you can all BLOW ME kisses as I shuffle along in the gay pride parades remembering my most famous quote about marriage equality, "It's too much, too soon." By the way, Harvey Milk was a bowler.

Love,

Di

This War Needs Two Fronts

No question, the bigots in the legislature have temporarily succeeded in screwing us over, doing what they've been trying to do since 2004 with their first introduction of an anti-gay marriage amendment. In previous years, their bills have all contained wording that would exclude legal recognition of any same-sex relationship, however, this year's bill has omitted that exclusionary language with the Republican authors in the Senate and House expressly admitting that the amendment allows for same-sex civil unions. That's a big change from previous years and it's a change that occurred, in part, because Marriage Equality Minnesota has had a constant presence at the Capitol, and initiated the first marriage equality bill in the Minnesota's history to be introduced in both houses of the legislature. We repeated the introduction of that bill in 2009 and now our bill, the Marriage and Family Protection Act, has been re-introduced in 2011, for a third biennium in a row. The pushing forward of that bill, plus the filing of the lawsuit last year by Marry Me Minnesota against the State for same-sex marriage rights, created an expectation of impending equality that made it impossible for the bigots in the legislature to offer up the same exclusionary amendment they have repeatedly introduced and have any chance of passage. They were forced to put a hole in the amendment, accommodating civil unions, because we pushed forward with REAL action, not just talk, for marriage equality in the legislature and in the courts, action that has moved public opinion in our direction, as born out by recent polls.

Do we need to organize against the amendment? YES! But let's take some of the new-found energy this anti-gay marriage amendment has created and use it to push forward for equality. We must do both!

Marriage Equality Minnesota's marriage equality bill is in play, in both houses of the legislature, through the end of the 2012 session and Marry Me Minnesota has a marriage equality lawsuit making its way through the Minnesota courts. We still have hope! Nobody knows what the future will bring no matter how much they profess to be able to predict elections. Who correctly predicted the outcome of the 2010 election in Minnesota? Nobody! Many of our so-called experts were telling us pro-equality officials would have complete control of state government after the 2010 election. They were wrong. Marriage Equality Minnesota discounted those predictions and said we need to push marriage equality as far as we can get, RIGHT NOW, because we don't know what will happen in the next election. That position was right, and it still holds true. We have to push forward for marriage equality, RIGHT NOW, like there's no tomorrow because pushing forward is the only thing that brings progress!

The truth is, with enough action we CAN get a marriage equality bill through the legislature and signed by the governor; we CAN defeat the anti-gay marriage amendment; we CAN have success in the Minnesota courts, overturning the statutory ban on same-sex marriage. And, let's not forget that there are marriage equality cases making their way through the federal courts, as well, that could ultimately overturn all state-level same-sex marriage bans, including the anti-gay marriage amendment the bigots are currently trying to pass in Minnesota. We have hope!

So, while you're talking to friends and neighbors about opposing the anti-gay marriage amendment, please mention the marriage equality bill that is currently in the legislature that will bring full marriage equality to same-sex couples in Minnesota, the Marriage and Family Protection Act, SF 1427 and HF 1710, as well. Encourage them to frequently call their legislators demanding support for its passage. And, support the marriage equality lawsuit, currently on appeal.

We've just begun to fight! - Doug

I'M NOT A BIGOT!

First, let me say to my homosexual friends that I AM NOT A BIGOT for authoring Minnesota's anti-gay marriage amendment! I just want your neighbors to be able to define marriage in a way that excludes people like you. WHAT!? We're just giving the mob the rope...they can do what they want with it! Geez.

Call me,

Warren