2008 Election
Prop 8 The Musical
Bittersweet
No Republican, Independent, or Democrat will argue the historic nature of yesterday’s election results. Barack Obama has become the manifestation of the American Dream in nearly every sense. From his upbringing to the tremendous momentum he’s had, grasping the highest office in the free world. He has transcended racial barriers that were up little more than 40 years ago and has ushered in a new era in American politics. As John Stewart put it last night “There are very few countries that live up to their creed. That live up to the documents of their founding, that all men are created equal. And tonight America has proven itself on a world stage as a show country, not a tell country.”
But with all that was gained yesterday some things were tragically lost. In California Prop 8 passed banning the basic civil liberty of marriage to gay and lesbian couples. Now imposed on every homosexual couple in California is the out of date religious ideology of out of State interests groups including Utah’s Mormon Church and the Knight of Columbus Organization. They spent well over $75 million on fear mongering ads describing the absolute lie that gay marriage would be taught in schools. In no part of the proposition’s description was there any mention of schools or restructuring of subjects taught. Even after California’s superintendent specifically denounced these claims, homophobic parents still believed it would happen. This goes to the much larger issue California and the rest of the United States will have to address: understanding homosexuality and breaking down the stigmas associated with the culture. For many Americans, even some who normally vote liberal, homosexuality is seen as a choice. Why would you choose to be ridiculed and discriminated against? Wouldn’t it be easier to be heterosexual in a country largely non-sympathetic to gay rights? And in a twisted bit of irony polls showed that 69% of African Americans voted yes on the proposition while also overwhelming voting for Barack who’s grandparents didn’t want their daughter to married a black man because of the conditioned stigma that blacks were sub-human. Like civil rights, gay rights will one day parallel everyone else’s. It’s just a matter of how much decency and compassion toward our fellow man we lose before that time comes.
One More Day
“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written in history of this generation….It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is thus shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.“
-RFK
Abraham Obama
This is some of Ron English’s new work where he fused Obama’s face onto a Lincoln body in his very robust illustration style. This New York based artist first got famous for doing street art where he’d manipulate billboards to give them a new meaning. Usually to attach some sort of anti-establishment/political message. He recently finished a nation wide tour exhibiting his Abraham Obama prints in Denver at the DNC.
Source Popaganda.com
Powell Endorses Obama
Yesterday on ‘Meet the Press’ Retired General Colin Powell announced his endorsement for Barack Obama. This coming at the tail end of the election with current National Gallup polls showing Sen. Obama with a 10 point lead over his rival Sen. John McCain. Even if you add in the Bradley effect it’s still a 5-6 point lead.
Given that some of last weeks national polls already had Obama up by 12 points, Gen. Powell’s endorsement was another swift kick in the stomach for the dissolving McCain campaign. In his explanation for the endorsement, Powell laid out clear reasons which included Palin’s lack of qualifications to the sour shift the campaign has gone attacking Obama on the obscure affiliation with Aires while not addressing the real issues Americans are concerned about. Powell also expressed his admiration for Obama’s righteous tone and demeanor during the financial melt down and campaign. He spoke about Obama’s vision of a united country and his intellectual capacity to lead. I think the McCain campaign just lost the last leg to stand up on.
Source MSNBC