Sunday 30 June 2013
SCHIEFFER/DAVIS
Posted on 16:30 by Unknown
REP. TAMMY DUCKWORTH TEARS A CONTRACTOR A NEW ONE
Posted on 06:15 by Unknown
CARE TO CLARIFY THAT STATEMENT GOVERNOR
Posted on 05:20 by Unknown
On Thursday, Governor Rick Perry spoke to the National Right to Life conference in Dallas. He had this to say about Senator Wendy Davis's (D, SD-10) recent filibuster of his proposed omnibus anti-abortion bill, SB 5.
Senator Davis became a mother about the same time as my mother did. Davis was 19 when she had her first child in 1982 followed by her youngest in 1988. My mother turned 21 while she was expecting me in 1983 and then had my sister in 1987.
Both women made the choice to become mothers at an early age and I am certain that it was a difficult decision they made. But the important thing was that it was their choice, AND THEIR CHOICE ALONE!
I am certain that at the time Senator Davis (who was known as Wendy Russell at the time) did not know that she was going to become a sitting member of the Texas Senate. Or a member of the Fort Worth City Council. Or graduate from Harvard Law School with a J.D. Or graduate from Texas Christian University (TCU) first in her class with a Bachelors in English.
I suspect that Wendy was thinking about how she could make her life better for herself and most importantly, the child she CHOOSE to have. She started by working and then taking advantage of a two-year paralegal program at Tarrant County College (which in those days it was called Tarrant County Junior College). From there it was TCU, then Harvard, then Fort Worth City Council, her upset win over Kim Brimer in 2008, her close yet strong re-election win in 2012, and now her filibuster against SB 5 in 2013.
Senator Davis has lead a very interesting life that has given her a unique perspective on the world and it has shown in her legislation as she is working tirelessly to restore the education cuts from the 82nd session, solving the terrible problem with the back log of rape kits that deny victims justice, work with Senator Van de Putte on helping our veterans, an advocate for equal pay for women in the work place, and was a co-sponsor for workplace protections for the LGBT community (SB 237).
Governor, I think it is YOU that could learn a lesson from Senator Davis's background.
THE DAILY SHOW'S TAKE ON SENATOR DAVIS'S FILIBUSTER
Posted on 05:00 by Unknown
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (hosted by John Oliver) takes on Senator Davis's filibuster from Tuesday Night. Jon Stewart John Oliver points out that this has overshadowed the big same-sex marriage cases delivered by the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
They simply believe that if late one night when you're swept away by your emotions, you make a stupid mistake, you should always have a chance to fix it later and not have to live with the consequences.
- John Oilver, The Daily Show, 26 June 2013
The Daily Show also takes on the larger abortion debate with Senior Women's Issues Correspondent Kristen Schaal.
Posted in 113th Congress, 2014 Elections, Commentary, Guest Ranter, News, Politics, Texas, The Lege, Women
|
No comments
COOPER/DAVIS
Posted on 04:50 by Unknown
NO RESPECT
Posted on 04:30 by Unknown
Senator Leticia Van de Putte's question on Tuesday Night speaks volumes. The San Antonio Democrat was selected as Senate President Pro Tem by her colleagues (made up of 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats) at the start of the 83rd session. She is the Chair of the Veterans Affairs and Military Installation Committee. Senator Van de Putte is an advocate for Veterans given that her recently deceased father served in the Army during The Korean War. One of the bills she passed during the 83rd regular session was to allow service members and their spouses to qualify for expedited occupational licensing in the state without any delays so that they can ensure a smooth transition from the military sector to the civilian sector.
I appreciate her office calling me back when I had a question about a bill when one of my fellow veterans asked me a question about and I was unable to give that person a satisfactory answer.
Senator Van de Putte has received many awards and recognition for her work in advocating for our veterans, children, the disabled, education, and helping to halt human trafficking. Texas Monthly recognized her as one of their Ten Best Legislators from the regular session. Texas Tribune readers voted her one the Top Five Best Legislators. If you calculate the difference between Best and Worst votes from the poll, Senator Van de Putte has the best score of 185.
Despite all the praise and work she has done, the Senator was shown a terrible amount of disrespect by her Republican colleagues. To them, the 14-year Senator is just another woman who should not worry her poor little ole head and let them do the thinkin' for her.
I think I know the answer to the Senator's question.
For her question to be recognized, it is probably going to take a newly elected Democratic Lieutenant Governor in November 2014.
TEXAS FIGHT, TEXAS FIGHT
Posted on 04:00 by Unknown
Tuesday night was a momentous occasion. State Senator Wendy Davis (D, SD-10) successfully filibustered the large anti-abortion omnibus bill that would have closed down all but 5 of such clinics in the state of Texas. Somewhere between 800-1300 activists from across the state stormed the Capitol to do what they could to help the small minority of Senate Democrats to stall passage of the bill over the last several days in order to not allow the bill to pass before the end of the first special session of the 83rd Legislature or 83(1).
Last week a hearing was held in a House committee room to discuss testimony on why this bill should or should not pass. The majority of the testimony was against this bill, but the committee was having none of it. At one point, State Rep. Byron Cook (R, HD-8) said "The testimony has been impassioned, but it has become repetitive, so I am going to only allow another hour of testimony on this bill." The bill passed committee in the wee hours of 21 June.
Over that weekend, House Democrats did everything they could to stall the passage of the bill out the house. The longer they stalled, the shorter amount of time it had in the State Senate where even though Republicans control a majority (19-12), it is not a super-majority. Democrats were introducing various Points of Orders (POO or PoO for short on twitter) and various amendments to at least minimize the damage that this bill could do. State Rep. Mary Gonzalez (D, HD-75) pointed out that this bill would harm the women in her El Paso district because if the bill had passed the nearest reproductive services clinic within the state would be in San Antonio, a 550 mile drive that can be done in 8 hours and stretches two time zones (El Paso is in the Mountain Time Zone, while the rest of the state is in the Central Time Zone).
The best part of the House debate came from State Rep. Jodie Laubenberg (R, HD-89) where she said this:
In case you missed it, here it is again:
If a woman is raped… We have hospital emergency rooms. We have funded what’s called rape kits that will help the woman, basically clean her out. And then hopefully that will alleviate that.And this is one of the many reasons why Texas cannot have nice things.
Laubenberg sits on the House Public Health Committee and is the chair for the state's chapter of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). ALECis a conservative-right leaning organization that is responsible for pushing things like Florida's Stand Your Ground gun legislation (which has received considerable attention in the media in the Trayvon Martin murder and associated George Zimmerman trial), various voter-identification bills, and Wisconsin's union stripping bills.
I've seen many episodes of Law and Order: SVUand I don't think rape kitswork that way.
But let's ask an organization that is dedicated to sexual assault victim's advocacy on the topic. The Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN) explains that the purpose of rape kits is to collect evidence, not to perform the procedure that Rep. Laubenberg thinks they do.
The anti-abortion omnibus bill, HB 60, passed the House on 21 June 2013 by a vote of 97-33 and was on its way to the Senate as SB 5.
The fight was on.
At 11:18 AM (CT) on Tuesday, State Senator Wendy Davis (D, SD-10) took to the State Senate floor to filibuster the bill.
The leadership may not want to listen to TX women, but they will have to listen to me. I intend to filibuster this bill. #SB5#txlege
— Wendy Davis (@WendyDavisTexas) June 25, 2013
Texas filibuster rules are different than the ones at the US Senate. For one, you actually have to speak and hold the floor. So, yeah... take that US Senate GOP.
You cannot leave the chamber for anything (yup, you better have a strong bladder). No eating or drinking.
The filibusterer can decide whether he (or in this case she) will take questions. Once the question is asked, the floor is returned to the filibusterer.
Most importantly, you have to stay on topic. No reading from the phone book, quoting scripture, reciting Lady Gaga lyrics, or reading twitter feeds. You have stay on point or you are issued a warning/strike. After 3 strikes, a vote is held to end the filibuster and all that is needed is a simple majority.
Davis read the testimony that did not have the opportunity to be heard at the House committee hearing. Folks were able to contribute additional testimony to her speech. Even though I am not physically able to have children as a biological male, I stated my opposition to this bill being considered because we have other issues to worry about.
A recent bipartisan poll via Progress Texas shows that a overwhelming majority, 80%, DOES NOT SUPPORT The Lege taking up these bills during the special session. 63% of Texas VOTERS think that this state has enough abortion restrictions and 71% believes that The Lege should be focusing on the economy and jobs.
Here is another telling statistic: 34% trust the Governor and The Lege to make decisions about women's health.
I'm surprised it is that high.
During the filibuster, Republicans attempted to end Davis's speech. The first strike was over germaneness, which means is she staying on topic or ranting on (like a CERTAIN person we know...). The Republicans were challenging over whether discussing Planned Parenthood's Budget was relevant to the topic. I think it is since the Republicans are tirelessly trying to defund the program. Especially around the false claim that all that Planned Parenthood does is abortion.
You might want to look at what a majority of Planned Parenthood does. 35% is STD Testing and Treatment, another 35% contraception, one-sixth is cancer screening and Prevention, and the final tenth is other women's health services.
Only 3% is abortion services.
And no federal dollars goes towards abortion except in cases of rape and incest. That was in an amendment passed and added to a larger bill in 1976. It's called the Hyde Amendment and was passed in response to Roe v. Wade (1973). I once had a state representative, Myra Crownover, who was unable to explain what it was.
The second strike came early in the evening over Davis's Democratic colleagues were adjusting her back brace. Maybe a little ticky-tacky, but if you're following the letter of the law, ok fine. I'll give them that one.
That did follow with some passionate debate over about the traditions of the chamber and how close the members are. Remember, there are only 31 members that sit in the Texas Legislature and that is out of a population of over 26 million people.
The final strike happened because Davis was talking about the Sonogram Bill than passed in the 82nd session. If you are unfamiliar with Texas politics, the last session was the passage of the controversial sonogram bill where if you want to have an abortion in Texas you have an ultrasound within 24 hours of the procedure. The Texas Observer has a heart wrenching story about a family enduring the difficult decision to terminate a pregnancy due to a sudden medical problem occurring. Before I post the link, I must warn that it might be a trigger for some. Here is that story.
Davis failed to yield to a question from Senators Jane Nelson (R, SD-12) and Donna Campbell (R, SD-25). I suspect it was because earlier Nelson was reportedly laughing and joking with other senators on the floor while security in the gallery were asking observers to refrain from making noise. The only noise from early in the event was from a "pro-lifer" who was ranting about how those who were against SB 5 were sodomites.
Senator Campbell successfully challenged the germaneness of the topic (which it was on topic) and the filibuster was over at 10:07 PM (CT).
If you are wondering, Senator Campbell was voted one of the worst legislators during the 83rd regular session per Texas Tribune readers. Yes, she was voted WORST than Stickland. She ran against Lloyd Doggett in 2010 and she hold board specialties in ophthalmology and emergency medicine. Senator Campbell is a supporter of the "fetal pain bill" (considering she is an eye doctor) and restricting voting rights.
Most importantly... she is up for re-election in 2014.
Anyways...
With the filibuster ending, all hell broke loose in the State Senate.
There was one item to the Democrats' advantage was the clock. There was less than 2 hours left and they did everything they could to stall the vote on SB 5.
There was one ace in the hole: Senator Leticia Van de Putte (D, SD-26), the Senate President Pro Tem.
Senator Van de Putte was back in her home town of San Antonio attending her father's funeral. He was presentwhen Senator Van de Putte was named Governor-for-a-Day on 4 May 2013. This has been a difficult session for the Senator as she had to also bury her 6 month grandson. In the Texas Monthly's profile of Van de Putte as one of the Best Senators, the article pointed out the Senator's willingness to persevere through difficult times with this observation:
The session ended in tragedy for Van de Putte, when her infant grandson died unexpectedly in early May. The news was heartbreaking, and her grief understandably overshadowed much of her work. Still, she carried on, a diligent lawmaker intent on making incremental progress.
After many points of orders that took the clock to 11:45 PM (CT), Senator Van de Putte asked a question:
Can you say that the microphone was effectively dropped?
The chamber ERUPTED in applause and cheers. I was cheering here at the Watts News Network global headquarters.
The cheers went on for 15 minutes. The clock stuck midnight and the first special session of the 83rd was over. SB 5 was dead.
Or was it...?
CBS and the AP was reporting that the bill did pass. There were reports that the bill passed 17-10 or 19-11, something like that. Those reports were later found to be incorrect.
There was one problem... the timestamps.
Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa (D, SD-20) shows that SOMEONE altered the timestamps.
Time-stamp altered to show vote happened before midnight. Left shows 6/26; right 6/25. #txlege#sb5#timestampgatepic.twitter.com/HA2QJCxAA9
— Juan Chuy Hinojosa (@TxChuy) June 26, 2013
Finally at 2:45 AM (CT), Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst finally conceded what everyone knew: the bill was dead.
"Regrettably" @DavidHDewhurstsays time expired and #SB5cannot be enrolled. #txlege. "It's been fun, but, um, see ya soon," he says.
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) June 26, 2013
The crowd in the capitol rotunda erupted in cheers.
This event has vaulted Wendy Davis into the national spotlight. There are talks among Texas Democrats that she could run for governor in 2014. Leticia van de Putte was featured on 2 MSNBC programs on Thursday (Now with Alex Wagner and All in With Chris Hayes). Folks are realizing that yes, there are Democratic-Progressive-Liberal minded folks in Texas. They aren't just concentrated in Austin. A lot the people that witnessed this event came from out of town. I know some people that drove from Denton to witness this. If I didn't have a test on Thursday, I so would have gone down there.
Over 180,000 people were watching the filibuster live on line. Many were following on twitter. Over a quarter of the #StandWithWendytweets came from Texas.
Here are some other stats and figures about the social media awareness during the filibuster.
And perhaps, I contributed to that pink blob that was on the DFW Metroplex.
Texas Filibusters: We do them bigger. #StandWithWendy#StandWithTXWomen#SB5#TXLege#GOTV2014#GoodByeGOPhttp://t.co/tY9i4KbP2x
— Michael Watts (@mjwatts1983) June 25, 2013
@WendyDavisTexasWe hear you Senator Davis. #StandWithWendy#StandWithTXWomen#TXLege#GOTV2014
— Michael Watts (@mjwatts1983) June 25, 2013
#StandWithDavis#StandWithTXWomen#SB5http://t.co/wxd10ZVFcL
— Michael Watts (@mjwatts1983) June 26, 2013
@BradTracy2032@WendyDavisTexasis a fighter for #Veterans. That is why I #StandWithDavis.
— Michael Watts (@mjwatts1983) June 26, 2013
So.... it's over right...?
No
Governor Perry hours after the first session ended called for a second special session. Yes, he also put on the agenda to pass a transportation funding bill and juvenile justice measure, but we know WHY he is calling this.
Yup. Abortion.
Senator Dan Patrick (R, SD-7) re-filed the anti-abortion omnibus bill in the Senate as SB 2 and SB 9. Patrick is also the former ESPN Sportscenter host who was teamed with Keith Olbermann during the program's high point in the 1990s recently announced his intention to challenge David Dewhurst for Lt. Gov. in 2014.
I am going to repeat what I said in a post looking back the 83rd Regular Session.
This special session is nothing more than an opportunity for the very vocal minority of Tea Party Republicans to push forward their agenda and to prevent some legislators from seeing a formidable primary challenger in 2014. State level Republicans know they are going to get hammered on issues such as the budget and not pushing enough of an extreme agenda by their base. Governor Perry knows this too as he is weighing his options on whether he will run for re-election next year. The latest polling shows that the governor is the favorite to win the Republican nomination over Attorney General Greg Abbott who has expressed some interest in the race though there is sentiment among Republicans that it's time for Perry to step out of the spotlight.
The special session should be utilized to focus on the tangible and real issues such as repairing our roads, participating in Medicaid expansion, solving our water issues, improving voter turnout, and other problems that exists with the budget.
What the Texas Legislature is involved in is nothing more than political gamesmanship.
Also me to add on to this.
This special session is nothing more than Republican hypocrisy and arrogance on display. If you listen to Republicans within the DC Beltway they mention about rebranding the party, but here in Texas and other places where the Republicans control the legislative and executive branches at the state level it is, as Senator Davis put it when the first special session was called:
RT @amanbatheja: Wendy Davis on Perry's special session call: "Business as usual, to borrow the phrase y'all have been using" #txlege
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) May 27, 2013
And she is correct.
Republicans claim to be the party of limited government and no regulations but is doing the complete opposite with this bill. They are refusing to listen to the people who are experts in this field. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and American Medical Association (AMA) have stated STRONG opposition to this bill stating that these proposals are NOT based on sound science, they weakens the standards for care, it threatens the doctor-patient relationship, and creates over-reaching requirements for abortion facilities.
In a statementby Lisa Hollier, MD, MPH, FACOG, and Texas-ACOG Chair: "The regulations set forth [in the Texas bill] require additional standards that are not necessary. The regulations are much more stringent than for other surgical procedures at similar risk, such as a colonoscopy."
Also, if they wish to limit the number of abortions and unwanted pregnancies, maybe it is time to ditch this idea of abstinence only education and start embracing comprehensive AGE APPROPRIATE sex education that is based around that thing called oh, I don't know... FACTS.
Yes, Governor Perry will tell you that abstinence works, but the data says otherwise. Texas has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates. Clearly something is NOT working.
Republicans say that they are the party of fiscal responsibility. This second special session is estimated to cost the tax payers $800K. If the session goes the full 30 days, it could run a bill of $1.6 million. And this speaks about Texas Republican's arrogance. Again, 800-1300 people showed up in Austin from all across the state to protest this. Again, 80% of Texans do not support using the special session to push this bill. 63% feel that the state has enough abortion restrictions. 71% feels that The Lege should be focusing on the economy and jobs.
Letters From Texaswriter Harold Cook points out what has already been stated: It is about satisfying the six percent of voters who will participate in next year's Republican Primary Elections here in Texas.
The Lege starts its second special session on Monday. There is a planned rally against these anti-abortion bills.
Texas Fight is on because for the first time in a while...
The Eyes of Texas Are Upon The Lege.
Tuesday 25 June 2013
LETTERMAN'S LAST NBC SHOW (25 June 1993)
Posted on 21:35 by Unknown
IT HAS BEEN A LONG STRANGE JOURNEY
Posted on 20:00 by Unknown
Let's go back to five years ago.
At this time I was approaching my discharge date from active duty as a member of the United States Navy. It was a difficult decision to make, but I decided that I wanted to do something different with my life. I had my education benefits through the GI Bill and Hazelwood exemption so I wanted to go to school.
I also knew that I was getting out as the Presidential election was ramping up. I knew this was going to be a big deal because whoever was elected was going to be the next President of the United States because the then-incumbent President, George W. Bush, was term limited.
There was a lot of attention with the upcoming presidential election. President Bush's popularity dropped like a rock during his second term due to his proposals for immigration reform was hijacked by the far-right members of his party, the backlash by seniors in his efforts to privatize Social Security, the discovery of warrantless wiretaps by his NSA, support for the Iraq War was dwindling, and the big one that turned off voters: the mishandling of the recovery efforts from Hurricane Katrina.
In November 2006, voters gave the Democrats control of both chambers of Congress for the first time in 12 years. I knew this was a big deal because of what happened in the Virginia race for US Senate. Though I admit I was not paying attention to politics as much as I do now because at the time I was paying attention to this undrafted quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys who was elevated to starter during the midpoint of the season and took the team to its second playoff appearance since the departure of The Triplets after the 2002 season.
So... 2008... I am counting down to the days to my freedom date discharge date from active duty and I become a civilian.
In late April/early May 2008, I come across this documentary that aired on the local PBS station in Hampton Roads, VA. It was titled Carrierand followed the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) on their 2005 deployment to the Persian Gulf. I had those similar experiences shown in the documentary as a member of the Carl Vinson's deployment to the Persian Gulf as part of her World Cruise in 2005.
Most of the series concentrated on what happens among the air wing and the pilots and the action that happens on the flight deck. Not surprising; that's how life is on a carrier. Everyone pays attention to what is going on the flight deck and topside; there is a lot of action that goes on below decks, especially down in the engine room and power plant spaces.
The second part of the series was titled "Super Secrets" where they took a look at what happens in other parts of the ship. The documentary (VERY) briefly showed what I did in the Navy as a nuclear propulsion plant operator (12:06-15:40). I suspect the reasons why they couldn't go down to the propulsion plant spaces because, first, it's confidential material. Second, the film crew would have needed radiation monitoring devices, a thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD, there was ANOTHER name for it...). They aren't that big. When I was in it was as big as a thumb and you clipped on your belt (in the video clip you can see the Reactor Officer wearing one on the left side of his coverall uniform). Before I got out, I heard they were replacing it with something that looked like a pager. And third.... it gets hot down there. The best way I can describe the heat down in the propulsion plant is this: July-August time frame in Texas when you first get into your car before starting it. And that is in the ventilation.
They interviewed some sailors about life aboard a carrier. Everything they mentioned... you develop some form of interpersonal relationship with the people you serve with.
They had to hide their faces because prior to the official repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in September 2011 because those sailors would face discharge from the armed forces for openly disclosing their sexual orientation.
In that montage leading up to those interviews... Yes, I did utter the phrase: "Man, this is so goddamned gay."I can provide the excuse that I was young (less than 25) and didn't know any better, but it doesn't change the fact that it was the wrong thing to say back them. I apologize for it. Let my actions speak for itself when it comes to correcting that wrong.
I was touched by their interviews. Some of them wore the same uniform that I did underway (most of the times coveralls, but sometimes utilities). Maybe there was a M Division Nuke in that interview.
Fast forward from there to a couple of months later, it is now late July 2008. I am packing my things into my car to head back to Texas to start a new chapter in my life. I come across this episode of The Daily Show during its daytime replay while I am moving stuff into my car. Here is Jon Stewart's take on the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" hearings in the US House and the ridiculousness of the opposition.
I found some more videos to watch of that hearing. The person who was asking the questions and tearing Elaine Donnely a new one was Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy. He was the first Iraq Veteran elected to Congress in 2007 and he did not hold back.
Then there was there were these two testimonies:
Again, I was touched by the fact that these two individuals were brave enough to share their stories. Again, they wore the uniform a lot longer than I did. I felt I had a duty to do what I could to repeal this policy.
Most importantly, I owed it to my family members who are gay. In a letterI authored to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Morning News, and Who's Playing blog, I mentioned that I have one on my father's side and one on my mother's side. They stood by me while I was in the military. Now it was my turn to pay it back.
Fast forward once again to Election Night 2008: Obama had won the election by a convincing electoral margin. When I got home from a watch party, I checked the polling results from the Proposition 8 vote in California. I saw that Prop 8 passed by a slim margin. Honestly, I was shocked. If you told me in 2008 to pick five states that would affirm same-sex marriages, California would occupy slots 1-4. I know a lot of people were mad and screaming, but my reaction was.... "You know, I DID not see that coming."
Later I found out the reason why it passed was because of a lot of backing by the Mormon church in the documentary 8: The Mormon Proposition.
Since then I have seen this country progress very rapidly on LGBT Issues. Prop 8 faced a legal challenge and began its process through the courts. The two attorneys arguing for the petitioners were on the opposite sides of Bush v. Gore (2000). This country repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." I remember watching the repeal ceremony on televisionfeeling a sense of accomplishment. I also knew there were many other fights to take on and it was going to be a lot more difficult given what was going to be the makeup of the next Congress. Then came Election Night 2012 when there were ballot measures in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington on the topic of same-sex marriage. Maine, Maryland, and Washington became the first states to affirm same-sex marriage at the ballot which broke a 0-31 streak in the states. Minnesota rejected a measure that would super-secret ban same-sex marriage in their state. Six months later, Minnesota became the most recent state to legalize marriage equality.
When I heard that the Supreme Court was going to take on Prop 8, I knew this was going to be a good chance that MAYBE we can end this debate and proceed towards other pressing matters. There was also the Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA) case which has a good shot at the federal government recognizing same-sex marriage when it comes to purposes of government employee benefits.
Based on what I have been reading and listening to the oral arguments, we're probably heading towards a split decision meaning the Court will rule in favor of overturning DOMA, but probably issue a narrow ruling in Prop 8 that is limited to California. Lambda Legal has this infographic showing the possible outcomes of the two cases. I'd like to believe that this court is aware of public opinion on this issue. More than 55% of Americans believe that it should be legal for gay and lesbian couples to get married. 54 Senators (a super majority of the Senate Democrats and 3 Republicans) have expressed support for equal marriage.
Honestly I don't know how this court will rule on the people that I care about and the countless number of friends I have made in this process. As former NFL head coach Jim Mora once said: "You think you know, but you don't know."
But I think retired Navy Commander and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" advocate Zoe Dunning put it best in her column for the San Francisco Bay Times: "Maybe good, maybe bad."
All I know is this: This part of the journey will conclude.
Whatever happens with the Supreme Court tomorrow, we will begin a new journey.
I am looking forward to it.
#STANDWITHWENDY
Posted on 17:40 by Unknown
I sent in why I stand with State Senator Davis (D, SD-10) in her efforts to block the passage of Texas's anti-abortion bill, SB-5.
My name is Michael Watts. I am a student at the University of North Texas in Denton and I served for 6 years in the US Navy. My State Representative is Myra Crownover and my State Senator is Jane Nelson.
I have a mother, sister, niece, many aunts and their daughters, both of grandmothers, and many women friends. I find these anti-choice measures deplorable. Members of the Texas House that voted against abortion in cases of rape and incest on Sunday night should be ashamed of themselves.
To those who are in favor of this bill: Why does this matter to you? It is not my place to tell a woman and anyone else what to do with their body.
I have an aunt who lives in Senator Davis's district. Sadly she is represented by Representative Stickland in the State House, who was one of the persons to vote against abortion in cases of rape and incest. My aunt finds it ridiculous that we are still having these discussions in the year 2013 when Griswold v. Connecticut, Roe v. Wade (1973), and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (settled this issue.
We have real issues in this state such as roads, energy, water and environment, public education, and improving access to health care. Let's stop with this nonsense and start solving the real problems that Texans are facing.
Thank you.
Posted in 2014 Elections, Commentary, Family, History, News, Politics, Texas, The Lege, Women
|
No comments
Monday 17 June 2013
MADDOW: NO ROOM AT THE INN
Posted on 04:00 by Unknown
Posted in 113th Congress, 2014 Elections, Commentary, History, LGBT, News, Politics, Texas, The Lege, Women
|
No comments
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)