But every activist does need a great Cause... And here are some options I'm mulling over this Sunday:
1) Help Alaska Secede From the Union: Seriously. I used to have such warm-n-fuzzy impressions of Alaska. It started with "Northern Exposure" (remember that show?), which made Alaska seem so darn quirky and charming in its idiosyncrasies. To me, Alaska was where my parents took their cruises... Where my brother did his fishing... I had no idea what actually lurked within those borders. A governor who thinks Africa is a country! (Even my ten-year-old nephew must be laughing his ass off over that one.) A senator who may be the first convicted felon in history to be elected to the United States Senate! What the $#@*&! is going on up there?!!
So, I'm thinking of packing up my parka and joining the Alaska Secessionist Movement (but as a mole--shhh, don't tell). Except... they'll probably expect me to handle a rifle, huh, and like shoot stuff... So maybe that won't work, after all.
2) Free David Gergen! I love that man about as much as I could love any old white dude who served as an adviser to three Republican Presidents (Nixon, Ford and Reagan). But he served as an adviser to Clinton, too, and he identifies himself as an Independent (hurrah!). Plus he's got this Cat-in-the-Hat quality about him:
Isn't he just... Seussical? And he's the best, always spot-on, voice-of-reason political commentator there is... and far too good for CNN. See, CNN loves to brag about how it's the most trustworthy source in cable news... but that's mostly bull, and hidden bias. At least MSNBC is upfront about its political leanings (see Rachel Maddow and Keith Olberman). But CNN is all sneaky about it... and sometimes sloppy too.
If you don't know David Gergen yet, you should. And once again I say to CNN, Free David Gergen!--you're not worthy. And Mr. Obama, couldn't you please find a special hallowed place for him in your administration? The country would be a far better place as a result... seriously.
Oh, and I still watch CNN all the time... I just make sure to have that salt shaker nearby... just in case.
3) Gay is the New Black: Like being told to drink from the "Coloreds Only" fountain--that's what the passage of Proposition 8 here in California is to gay and lesbian citizens. (I wonder if the 7 out of 10 African American voters who voted yes on Prop 8 realize that.) "Civil Unions" are just as good as "Marriages"? Well, segregated schools in the South once argued that segregation was totally legal because, hey, the schools were separate but "equal." And um, remember those nasty little anti-miscegenation laws that were supposedly just "preserving" the centuries old institution of marriage? Well, a vote for Prop 8 was like a vote for those no-mixing-of-white-with-black-blood marriage laws. That a person could on the same ballot vote first for Obama and then vote yes on Prop 8--The hypocrisy/irony there is too much for me... It really is.
Well, here comes the next Civil Rights movement... because it seems in this country that someone has to be treated like a second-class citizen... always. From "Jim Crow" to "Jim Queer"--is that where this nation is headed? If so, I say OK--bring on the "Gays Only" fountains, and restaurants, and theaters/galleries/concert-halls, etc. etc. I may be "entitled" to the "Straights Only" venues... but hey, I'd rather go where much of the funny/talented/aesthetic are... if they'll have me. Because I wouldn't blame them for being really suspicious of all us "straights" right now...
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