Radio silence & healthcare protests

Updated 7:53 pm with local newspaper coverage of the protest (see below)

Why have I been so quiet lately? Well, I've been busy, busy, busy making money and working on various projects. (Think geology and development communications). I've also been dealing with an IT issue that was making my teeth itch and had me pulling out wads of hair. Luckily, all seems resolved now.

Today I attended a small, but polite protest in favor of health insurance reform and keeping the public option in whatever plan passes. The protest was organized by the brand spanking new Lawrence, Kan., MoveOn.org local council, which is being spearheaded by former mayor Jo Anderson. The MoveOn folks had about 30 people in front of Blue Dog Democrat Dennis Moore's local office.

Here's a tiny snippet of MoveOn's side of the street.



About 6 to 8 counter protesters held their signs up across the street. I talked to several of the counter protesters at length, and I hope to write more about their ideas later. One woman identified herself as a former Obama voter/donor/volunteer who was unhappy with the president. Most of the counter protestors said they voted for Chuck Baldwin for president and are members of the Constitution Party. Others said they reluctantly voted for John McCain. One woman was a huge Sarah Palin fan.

Both Jo (Disclosure Alert: We're long-time friends) and I thought this sign was interesting. Jo wanted the sign for herself because she thought it made MoveOn's point. I do give this fellow points for his very fine lettering skills.

By the way, I started my writing career in newspapers, and I have to admit that this half-baked post is one of the weirdest bits of journalism I've ever done. In the old days, I would have written a lengthy story with complete details. Alas, time is short, so I thought folks might, at least, like to see what I could post quickly.

Actually, I lied a bit about the old days. In the old days, a protest like this might not have even been covered, or it would have been a one paragraph story. And so life in the new media age goes.

Protest & Possible Deaths: What isnt' being reported from Iran

In the aftermath of the presidential election, thousands are in the streets in Iran. There are reports of deaths, of the entire faculty of a Tehran university resigning in protest because of deaths on campus and more. Right now the best places to get news appear to be on blogs and Twitter.

See Andrew Sullivan and Huffington Post. Some of the best reporting is being funneled through Sullivan's blog. He reports that The Atlantic, which hosts his blog, appears to be under cyber attack, so be patient for long loading times.

Jan. 12: Today in Gay

I'm experimenting with what I hope will be a regular roundup of the most important, interesting and/or funky news of the day in LGBT America. Think of this as an extremely idiosyncratic queer front page.

Under the category of We Always Meant to Do This (and do attach a chagrined look to this link), Obama has given a role in the inauguration to openly gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson. (For anyone who has been living under a rock: See Rick Warren.) As Ezra Klein very astutely notes:

Yeah. I'm sure the two (outrage over Warren and appointing Robinson) had nothing to do with each other. They just didn't want to announce Robinson till after they'd endured a month of harsh criticism and a thousand calls from furious gay donors threatening to withhold support from the party and an outpouring of anger from those who'd worked endlessly for Obama's nomination. All part of the plan. Sure guys.

Political Animal weighs in Robinson's role and reports on the growing lists of progressive pastors now involved in the inauguration.

Saturday marked another day of protest over Proposition 8. Karen Ocamb reports on the happenings in Los Angeles. The MSM reports on the Pittsburgh rally. Attendance at these rallies seems down from the Nov. 15 protests and other early demonstrations. My concern is that Stonewall 2.0 may sputter because the new activists are not coming up with a 2nd act. (Act 1 of the play: Take to the Streets. Act 2... um...) My feeling is that without political action, protests can be a dead end. Wockner is more optimistic as he rounds up news reports via Google News. The online organizers, Join the Impact, continue to push forward.

This is a teeny bit stale, but still news... Obama's incoming Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says our new president WILL keep his word to get rid of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell ban on gays in the military. Gibbs' comment comes at 4:21 in this video. This sounds great. I love the short, sweet answer, but words mean little, especially now that the campaign is over. It's time to govern. What I want to see is action. On the other hand I'm reasonable. I'll settle for a timeline and a plan.

Disgraced pastor Ted Haggard says he's "heterosexual with issues" as a new HBO documentary chronicles Haggard's fall. (Note that the documentary is by Nancy Pelosi's daughter, Alexandra Pelosi.)

A candidate for Republican National Committee chair claims we can all be "cured" of our gayness. My question: Can he be "cured" of his straightness?

Finally, a mental health break from the satirical site 23/6 video. For those of you, like me, who vividly remember those awful school films from the Fifties, this is truly eerie.

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

A Dose of Reality: Mormons get a lesson about politics

I've been working up a response to the absurd statement from leaders of the Mormon Church, complaining about the marriage equality protests that are sweeping the nation. In a truly Orwellian move, Mormon leaders claimed they have been victimized by the fallout from Proposition 8. What a joke!

While I was struggling with my post, Kevin Drum, bless him, came up with a post saying exactly what I wanted to say. The emphasis is mine.

I'm afraid the church elders have it exactly backward here. Churches have every right to involve themselves in political issues, but if they do then they're going to be treated as political actors. Protests, boycotts, op-eds, blog posts, and marches are exactly the democratic ideals of our nation, and being on the receiving end of them is what happens to anyone who enters the political fray. It's a little late for them to pretend they didn't know this.

People should not be persecuted for their religious beliefs, and I condemn any gay-rights supporter who does that. But I refuse to let people take my rights away and then claim that I can't fight back. Give me a break!

In case you're wondering why anyone would be miffed at the LDS, take a look at this weekend's New York Times: Mormons Tipped Scale in Ban on Gay Marriage.