My Letter from President Obama

On 28 January 2009 I wrote a letter to the then-new President Barack Obama asking him why he was a bigot. 


Today I am happy to say that I finally got an answer. I received a mass e-mail from his political campaign that said the following:


David --

Today, I was asked a direct question and gave a direct answer:

I believe that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry...

I've always believed that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally. I was reluctant to use the term marriage because of the very powerful traditions it evokes. And I thought civil union laws that conferred legal rights upon gay and lesbian couples were a solution.


But over the course of several years I've talked to friends and family about this. I've thought about members of my staff in long-term, committed, same-sex relationships who are raising kids together. Through our efforts to end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, I've gotten to know some of the gay and lesbian troops who are serving our country with honor and distinction.

What I've come to realize is that for loving, same-sex couples, the denial of marriage equality means that, in their eyes and the eyes of their children, they are still considered less than full citizens.

Even at my own dinner table, when I look at Sasha and Malia, who have friends whose parents are same-sex couples, I know it wouldn't dawn on them that their friends' parents should be treated differently.

So I decided it was time to affirm my personal belief that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.


A little over three years later I got the answer to my letter that I frankly did not think I would ever receive. 


I have to say thank you President Obama for being courageous enough to stand up for all American citizens. Thank-you sir, thank-you. 

A Change in My 9/11 Schedule

Believing all members of a group are evil = overgeneralization

Since 2001 I have never missed a visit to the World Trade Center site, going to pay my respects and mark a year in my life as well. From the beginning I established a tradition of what I wear, what I carry with me as well as the order of sites I see--the Morgan Bank, Federal Hall, Trinity Church and then Ground Zero.

Tomorrow, however, I will be adding another stop to my pilgrimage, as I will be heading over to Park Place to the pro-Muslim rally being held there.  I am not a religious person but I am an ethical one and I feel so much disappointment and anger over the unfair treatment of the followers of Mohammed and the founders of the Cordoba Center.  I am embarrassed by the ignorance I see and hear on a daily basis in reaction to the construction of the center and I feel the need to lend my presence, as well as my words, in helping fight ignorance and prejudice over this issue.  

As we mark this 9th anniversary of the tragedy that occurred here, think of the good people of all faiths, as well as those without one, who were murdered that day in the name of hate. Hate is the enemy dear readers--not Islam. 

Forbes Article Promotes a Racist and Sexist Agenda

I was not planning on blogging today but after innocently turning on my Mac I saw a story on Yahoo! via Forbes Magazine about commonalities among billionaires. So I clicked to see what they were. The article is one of those cream puff pieces that sites like Yahoo! adore--lots of sizzle--no protein.

I was not surprised by what I saw, at least at first. The financial leaders were mostly Ivy League, had usually worked in finance, a great many had suffered some sort of financial failure, yadda yadda. But slowly I was stunned by what was NOT there. The two most overwhelming common traits is that almost all of them, perhaps every one, is white and male. But those two facts are not mentioned, nor even hinted at in the piece. 

• parents good at math?       crucial
• fact they have XY chrmosones?     trivial
• born in the fall?     crucial
• have European ancestors?     trivial
  

Look at the picture above--it is the lead picture for the store. By all appearances, that Anglo child is male, donning the culturally significant blue jumper. So even though their picture, most probably selected by a photo editor, explains the story's raison d'etre, not a peep about these key facts appear in the story.     

White males continue to rule the world; those white men who don't admit to that power differential are actively taking part in the continued oppression of all outside of that elite class.       

By the way, I looked up the author of the piece, one Duncan Greenberg. Guess where the author falls on the gender/ethnicity grid?    

(lack of acknowledging the playing field is not level) = maintaining the status quo