Uncivil War: of Facebook, Race, and Republicans

M, an acquaintance from high school recently posted a query on Facebook the other day about political discussions using that platform. He had been "unfriended" by someone who disagreed with his politics. This person had posted that she agreed with President Carter that much of the antics we are currently seeing on the right and even in the Republican party are motivated by race. M apparently disagreed via online comment and was then summarily released from Facebook friendship. His question is: can you only comment on other people's political posts if you agree with them?

Perhaps Facebook is not the best place to discuss politics. In my few months of use I have noticed that interactions there tend to be more civil than anonymous Interweb back and forth. But when it becomes uncivil it can become personal and damaging to real relationships with "real" people. (Not that real relationships can't develop on the web, but I tend to assign much higher value to those that are with people we have at one time interacted with in the flesh and blood world.)

Now I don't know exactly how the interaction that resulted in the unfriending went, but I have to say that in the current amped up climate I am not surprised that it would lead some folks to cutting others out of their social networking circles. And to be honest it is not just the current political climate but one of simple online sanity. I have hidden the updates of one particular "frienemy" whose constant uninformed anti-Obama posts I find galling. So I just don't subject myself to them anymore. Problem solved.

But I do want to address the toxic political climate and the question of racism on the fringe right wing of American discourse. First of all, I don't personally think that all or most of the criticism of Obama is rooted in racism. I haven't heard anyone suggest that all such criticism is so inspired; that is a straw man set up by the right. But can anyone deny that racism does play a part in all the nuttiness we are currently seeing from the likes of Glen Beck, Drudge, Rush Limbaugh, and some of the 9-12 protesters carrying signs of our president dressed as an African witch doctor?

I read John Bohrer's column on Huffington Post yesterday that says it very well. The nut jobs would have been coming up with wild ass conspiracies regardless of which Democrat took the White House. But Obama's race is icing on the cake. Here's the kicker: "People like that have always been around. They will always be around. What's different is that a political party has never adopted them before." That's the scary part. Some of these nuts are advocating secession and violence against the government. And they are being courted by the Republican party.

I am personally concerned that we may see another Oklahoma City. I am almost certain that we will see more wingnut-inspired violence like that which occurred at the Holocaust Museum. That these people are being encouraged by the right wing media echo chamber and even some elected officials is especially concerning, as it grants them legitimacy and broadens their reach. The mainstream used to mostly ignore these folks. The GOP seems to be less and less mainstream by the day. And all the nuttiness has drowned out legitimate criticism. To say the least, this is not good for the republic.

Venting: this is not how we are supposed to do things in the United States of America! Obama and the Democratic Congress are doing no more than exactly what they campaigned on and were elected to do by the American people. If you don't like it, get someone else elected and change it. In the meantime make your views known peacefully. But don't carry your guns to town hall meetings and poison the political discourse with ridiculous made up charges involving birth certificates and death panels. Because when you do that we can't have a conversation at all.

I put a lion's share of the blame on the right wing media. Fox News and talk radio allow the right to live in their own universe with their own facts where our president is a racist and an evil clown secret Kenyan Muslim socialist bent on taking away our freedom, indoctrinating our children, and killing our grandmothers. I know some of my family receives their information from these sources and I am angry at these folks for filling their heads with this craziness. No wonder we're unfriending each other. We're not even on the same planet.

Edit: I hope it is obvious that I do not mean to imply that all listeners to right wing media are prone to violence. I think it is a small percentage but we are creating an environment where violent extremists can draw succor from and be encouraged by the bloviating, fear-mongering, race-baiting, and conspiratorial nature of what passes for punditry on the far right.

Test. So can I really post to blogger through SMS?

Health care schemes

FV is thrilled that we have a very good chance of getting health care reform this year. I am interested that President Obama has now said he is open to requiring individuals to purchase health insurance unless they can't afford it. It kind of begs the question, don't those folks need insurance too? Perhaps they would be covered by Medicaid.

Here's a different idea, though. Instead of requiring people to purchase insurance, why don't we just create a fair tax system such as a value added tax and then just cover everyone? It sounds so simple. But, alas, so European, that we would never do it.

Nation of laws? Part II

Memorial Day weekend.

Today's NY Times headline (print version): "Obama Detention Plan Poses Fundamental Test / Lack of Trials a Challenge to Tradition".

Oh, "Challenge to Tradition" must be the new euphemism for subverting due process.

FV was obviously a big supporter of candidate Obama, who never proposed anything like "preventive detention," being that he was a constitutional law professor and everything. And I can't sit here at my keyboard and tell you what I would do if I saw these detainees dossiers. But I do think our country is strong enough to uphold due process even for suspected terrorists.

As I understand it, no Western democracy, even those with much more experience with terrorism than ours, allows for indefinite detention without charges or trial. This has gone on long enough. Just because you "create a legal framework" for something doesn't make it Constitutional. Or right.

What are we becoming? Is this the country our fathers and mothers fought and died for?

Nation of laws?

I don't know the legal definition of treason, but perhaps torturing prisoners in order to extract false confessions to justify an invasion might fall somewhere in there...

Just a thought.

Mr. Holder, appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the torture regime. It's not looking backwards; it is called upholding the rule of law. And in our democracy nobody is above the law. Or are they?

Bless us and bless our new president

The Rt Rev Gene Robinson's invocation from Sunday's festivities. Full text here.

Reverend Rick

Since I'm updating the blog so sporadically these days, this is going to look strange coming right after my election night post but here goes.

I've been trying to figure out how much slack to cut President-elect Obama in his choice to have Rev. Rick Warren deliver the invocation at the inauguration. At first blush it seems to me a massive slap in the face to the GLBT folk (and their friends and family) who helped to elect him.

Yes, it is merely symbolic. It is not policy related. And maybe I can cut him some slack on this.

Then I read Warren's comments equating homosexuality with incest and pedophilia, and I read that until recently he had a message on his church's web site that an "unrepentant" homosexual could not be a member of his church.

And I think - couldn't we have found someone else?

The GLBT community is accustomed to being thrown under the bus at the first sign of friction, but it is almost as if the incoming administration is going out of their way to slight them with this decision. Make no mistake about it, Obama has been consistently against marriage rights for homosexuals, so perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised. But Warren has become a lightening rod to advocates of gay rights because of his disturbing statements linked above and because of his strong support for California Proposition 8.

To invite Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the inaugural is not to encourage unity with religious conservatives - they are upset that he accepted the invitation. No, to invite Rick Warren is to say to gays and lesbians and their families, at the outset of this administration we're putting politics above civil rights and equality and there will be a powerful reminder on an otherwise joyous day that there are still second class citizens in this country.

Speechless

Champagne and a few tears flowing at the FV household.

America has made a choice and I am elated at this historic moment.

We have a chance now to get our country back to where it needs to be. To be a beacon of democracy, equality, prosperity, brotherhood and hope to the world.


"A government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the earth." ~President-elect Barack Obama

Holding my breath for one more day

Not much left to say. Except go out and vote!

Madelyn Dunham RIP

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain

Important note from Texas Freedom Network

Calling all Texans: Let's keep creationism out of our kids' science classes.

It is time for the public comment period on the state's science curriculum standards. The draft looks very good, by the way. But that doesn't mean the anti-science conservatives on the Board can't wreck it. As many of us as possible need to make our voices heard and follow these steps helpfully supplied by TFN:

1. Click here to go to the comments form on the TEA Web site.
2. Scroll down to "Directions for Using the Feedback Forms." You will find a list of links to feedback forms for Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, and high school courses. Forms for Grades K-8 are in Microsoft Excel. You have a choice of formats for the high school form: Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Word.
3. Select whichever grade levels on which you want to comment. PLEASE CLICK ON THE HIGH SCHOOL LINK TO COMMENT ON THE TREATMENT OF EVOLUTION IN THE BIOLOGY STANDARDS.
4. Once you have completed a feedback form (each is short), you may save the file on to your computer. Then you have three options for sending the form to TEA:
- Attach the saved file of the completed form to an e-mail and send it to TEA at curriculum@tea.state.tx.us. Please put SCIENCE COMMENTS in the Subject Line.
- Print out the completed form and fax it to TEA at (512) 463-8057; Fax to: SCIENCE COMMENTS
- Mail the completed form to TEA at the following address:
Texas Education Agency
Division of Curriculum, Science Comments
1701 N. Congress Ave.
Austin, Texas 78701-1494

Democracy happens

And in a big way. Congratulations, Texas, on surpassing the vote totals from 2004 before election day even gets here!

Good times, early voting

You know what makes up for jerks in East Texas tailgating you due to your bumper stickers and wackos putting propaganda in your mailbox due to your yard sign? (No, I'm not paranoid, why do you ask?)

Casting a ballot.

The line was out the door at Audelia Road Library for early voting on Sunday - and it bears mentioning that this was during the Cowboys game. It was a wonderful sight. And my 18 month old got a little more exposure to the democratic process.

I still don't like touch screen voting machines with no paper trail. But the election workers were very efficient and got us in there after about a ten minute wait. I wonder what it's going to look like on election day...

Ruthify me

Let me just say, I can relate to what Larry David is going through. I've been really anxious and irritable lately. And maybe it's stuff at work and maybe it's years of savings evaporated in my 401k, but I know it's this election. I can't wait for this election to be over and in the meantime I need therapy.

This morning I asked God for grace and went running rather than reading the newspaper. And on my commute I kept my paper shut most of the train ride and my spirit was calmed by the sounds of Jack Johnson and Ruthie Foster.

I'm off work early today and am about to open up my voter's guide and a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Gotta figure out who to vote for in the Lead Leprechaun race (hat tip Anna Kay). If I have time I'll go ahead and hit the library for early voting.

November 5th can't get here soon enough.

Update: Polls closed at 5PM, but the Sample Ballot is filled out and ready to go.

Republican warm fuzzies

A friend and colleague of mine is a rabid Republican. She and I have fought for months, sometimes very uncomfortably, about politics and the presidential race. As the primaries were winding down she tried to bet me $100 that McCain would win the election. (I modified the bet to lunch and I'm looking forward to collecting on November 5.)

On Monday she said she had a confession for me. She was considering voting for Barack Obama for President of the U.S. and A. This is a woman who has never voted for a Democrat in her 40 years, still thinks George W. Bush has done a good job, thinks Obama is probably a socialist and also likes Sarah Palin. So what is it that has (possibly) turned her around?

In short: the need for the country to come together and the ugliness of McCain's supporters. The blatant racism and divisiveness that flood her e-mail inbox from acquaintances. She's sick of the division and doesn't want to be associated with the hatefulness of some of McCain's supporters. I assured her that I didn't think that McCain was a racist or that all his supporters were hateful people, but that the Obama camp would welcome her with open arms.

This is a big reason why McCain's campaign is failing. He could have repudiated these tactics. Instead he continues to fan the flames of hate and fear with mailers and robocalls continuing to try to link Obama with terrorism.

Thank you neighbor!

A neighbor noticed our missing sign this morning and offered that he had an extra one he'd be happy to give us. That's the kind of gesture that just makes you feel good.

Fire up Lake Highlands Dems! Let's turn precinct 2209 blue!

Lake Highlands Obama yard signs kidnapped

Some tool swiped a bunch of Obama yard signs in Lake Highlands - either last night or this morning. It appears that only Obama signs were taken. Other Democratic signs were in their proper place.

OK, this was probably some stupid kid, so I'll not try to read too much into this. But a few points:
1. Isn't the Republican party the party of law and order? Don't they get PO'd when someone takes their stuff (think tax policy)?
2. It's hard for me to think that it's merely a coincidence that this happened shortly after the character attack on Obama began. These accusations and insinuations give people tacit approval to do and think some pretty horrible stuff, as witnessed by the hate speech at the McCain-Palin rallies. Swiping my yard sign isn't hate speech and it may be a petty crime, but it is still a crime. And it is not how we are supposed to do democracy.
3. Those whippersnappers better stay off my lawn!

The FV family is contemplating a homemade sign to replace our stolen one. If we do so I'll throw a picture of it up here.

Thank God

After a week of stoking the fear and hate of the far right wing of his party, Senator McCain has finally done the right thing and is trying to calm down his supporters. Thank you, Senator. I hope your ads, rallies, and rhetoric will all shift to stop questioning the patriotism and motives of your opponent. Fear and hate will never bring this country together.

Stirring up trouble

I have become extremely concerned and disturbed as the campaign has taken a nasty turn this week. It is not surprising that the flailing Republican ticket has decided to go negative. What I have been disturbed by though is the violent language which is being stoked on the campaign trail. In separate instances this week crowds at McCain-Palin rallies have been heard to yell "treason," "traitor," "kill him," and "off with his head" in reference to Barack Obama. These remarks, many of them audible to the Republican candidates, were not immediately repudiated.

Even more disturbing is that, even in the face of this hatred, the campaign has kept up the same line of attack. They are fomenting an environment where it would not be surprising for some wingnut to attempt an act of violence against Obama, one of his supporters, or even a member of the media which has also been on the receiving end of much of this same vitriol.

This is not supposed to be the way we conduct democracy in America folks. Please see Andrew Sullivan's piece on this.

Obama is probably going to win this election. Let's not create an environment where the next president has to go everywhere in a bullet proof pope-mobile and his family and country have to be fearful for his life.

John McCain can put a stop to this. I'm waiting to see some leadership from him. As Sullivan signs off: "For once in this campaign, put your country first."

Culture clash at Flagpole Hill

Well, I can see everything is pretty much as I left it back in June. There's plenty on my mind and I have lots of opinions on the presidential campaign, but nothing that I'll share right now.

An interesting thing happened this evening. While picnicking (can you verb picnic?) with friends at Flagpole Hill, near the end of our time there, I saw something that at once piqued my interest and then my own reaction surprised me.

It was a beautiful evening, still a little warm even with the cooling we received courtesy of the edge of hurricane Ike that passed by yesterday. Some older kids were flying a big kite and we talked about how they pitted kites against one another in Afghanistan, like in The Kite Runner.

Our kids played on the playground with the other kids, most of whom were primarily Spanish speaking. This doesn't bother me too much to be in the minority and I consider it good for the kids to be around people who are different from them. I expect it at the public parks because for whatever reason the Latino population makes much better use of the parks system than the white families do.

We had dinner and then played some more. When we were almost ready to leave a family made their way to the park with two women in full burka, only their eyes peeking out. Another reminder of Afghanistan in the days after the 7th anniversary of 9/11/2001. I pointed them out to my wife but reserved any comment until we were driving home when all I could muster was "that freaked me out a little." She seemed to agree and we said later that it seems so oppressive.

The giant American flag overhead seems to stand in stark contrast to these women's attire. As we try to teach our kids to respect other cultures, I'm realizing that some cultures seem completely incompatible and at odds with ours. I think there's room for all of us here, but this multicultural society of ours isn't always the beautiful melting pot or salad bowl we like to imagine.