That Dang Cotton-Pickin Election

An interesting map from one of my favorite blog site that focuses on maps.
Strangemaps

An overlay of cotton production in 1860 with the 2008 presidential results.

From picking cotton to picking Presidents.
The correlation is fascinating.

Fighting H8

Today was the day.

Pete and I went down to the Capitol reflecting pool today. My estimate was there was well over a thousand people.
The march down to Lafeyette Square extended from the Capitol to the Washington Monument.

San Diego, Seattle and NYC attendees numbered in the thousands.

While it was interesting to watch (we're not much for protesting) it really isn't the one issue that deeply troubles me.

This is the one that sickens me. It is a disgraceful and shameful policy. Luckily, this joke of a policy is short-lived, as President-Elect Obama will soon begin to set the wheels in motion to end this disgraceful wound in our country's military history.
The more I think about it, the angrier I become, and I'm sure close to 13 thousand soldiers agree with me.
A joke, plain and simple.

Why I'm going

Tomorrow.

We will be there.

Over 300 cities participating across the country.

I've never written about gay marriage on here.
I just never felt the need.
The truth is, unless your core understanding of sexual orientation is correct, then your views on marriage are not relevant, as your opinion is based on a flawed core belief.

You are already wrong. Period.

I have had some heated discussions with a few people and quickly put them in their place by making the realize this is not a conversation about whether or not you agree with gay marriage....but rather, whether or not you understand that sexual orientation is inherent, and part of the human condition.

If you DO understand that, then you would be in favor of gay marriage as you realize its part of who you are and not something you can change, so you are entitled to a legal commitment.

The conversation usually comes to an abrupt stop at that point. because I tell them you have no right to even discuss anything like marriage until your core of understanding is correct and not based on flawed beliefs.

The truth is....gay marriage strengthens the institution of marraige.
Nobody is destroying it..gay men and women want to be part of it.
By not allowing gays to marry, the same people that oppose it, perpetuate closeted individuals to feel the need to enter a phony straight marriage which eventually leads to lies, and divorce...thereby damaging the institution. A scenario typical of what we see and hear of all the time, particularly by closeted "married" republicans.

Disagree? Sorry...I've got 35 years of truth, honesty, and "knowing" under my belt verses your bigoted and fear based opinion.

So, we're going. Along with tens of thousands of others who know the truth.
No hypocritical Republican, crackpot fundamentalist, bigot, or completely whacked-out Mormon is going to stop this movement.
It is past the tipping point.

Speaking of Mormons...isn't it ironic that one of the most persecuted religions in the world injected the most money to pass proposition 8?
Gee, guess its OK to have 5 wives but not one husband.

Pictures to follow.

Paddle faster...I hear banjos

A fascinating map showing voting shifts, where counties became more democratic than the last election in 2004.

Click here for a larger version. You'll need to click "voting shifts" once you're there to see this particular map.

The only areas that went more red in this year's election were Appalachia, the Ozarks, Oklahoma, eastern Texas, and Cajun country in Louisiana.

What's that tell you about the Republican base?
You do the math.

This is our Moment. This is our Time

"It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America

I think I slept a total of two hours last night...between watching the results, talking on the phone, watching his speech, fireworks outside my window, horns honking, people yelling and screaming, and just being too excited to sleep.

A new era begins and I couldn't be happier.

The dark cloud of the last eight years has started to lift.

This is the U.S.A. I believe in and always knew existed.

Yes We Can

Voted.
Ran into our neighbors, Bob and Onelio, at the polls.

Know Hope.

Fears and Tears

It's almost over!

And to all of you who opened, read, believed, and forwarded emails during the course of this election proclaiming the most decent politician in probably a century to be a terrorist, a communist, a muslim or anything of the like....shame on you. Shame on you because you are smarter than that, and you know it. But in so doing, you only showed only your true character...one comprised of fear, xenophobia, and fear of speaking up agaist the grain of religious intolerance and bigotry.
And for that, you are about to get yours.

In life, you have a choice...the low road, or the high road. I'm glad to be associated with a campaign that took the high road.

Tears. From the heartfelt excitement of those who know what it feels like to be proud of someone who has taken the high road.

I'm sure he has shed his own today, as his grandmother passed away.

See you tomorrow, with our new PRESIDENT!!

OBAMA '08!!