I have a fleet of aircraft at my disposal and I chose to stay home during my week of vacation and work on the remodeling of the kitchen. It's a mess as the rental management sent out the lower than low bid contractor to lay a new floor in the manner of what a four year old would do. He's the same contractor that I'm pretty sure patched up a vertical canyon in the wall with chewing gum and flooded our bathroom ceiling when working on plumbing two floors above. This contractor creates more work than what he completes, quantified at best. I should check with my travel agent about my choice of "down time." But that's not the only thing that's a mess.
It's come to my attention, just, that our nation's civil rights are a mess too. The contractors involved on both sides are simply shit, and the work created is more than any work done. Just over a month ago Michael and I were finally allowed to get married in the United States, as the California Supreme Court ruled denying marriage to anyone is simply unjustified under the California constitution. Really, it is unjustified under most constitutions except our covenants are subject to more interpretations than critical literature readings of Shakespeare and Chaucer put together. When is the last time you had a contractor that could read?
A number of very rich entities (two of the only rich red necks in Orange County and the Mormon Church, specifically) paid for a propaganda machine that actually worked and made McCain's election staff blush with envy. Apparently the same kindergartner taught sex education by Obama, grew up in a matter of months to be taught about gay marriage in third grade. So says McCain and the Mormon church. Gosh, I guess everything I needed to know I learned in kindergarten but I don't ever remember being taught about marriage in school.
The churches prayed on the fears of their patrons gaining nearly 40 million dollars to fuel the thirsty hate motor and by GOD, they won. I suppose I shouldn't expect to see their church leaders flying in $9,000 business class seats to their "missions" in Africa after such an expenditure. I take some savor in wondering if Billy Bob's mansion in Orange County burned this week and I hope Salt Lake City has a horrendous ski season and ALL their wives are the angrier for it.
Election Tuesday was rift with joy (for the most part) as the Democrats stopped the onslaught of the far too Rightly lost Republicans, but the celebration was short lived learning the next hungover morning a sobering discovery; Michael and I were no longer married. The conservatives of this nation, indeed, had one more shot to fire before they surrendered and it hit us. At this point most married people would be running to the nearest open brothel and enjoying the prospects of a single and legal romp for prosperity's sake, but nothing was open that early. Proposition 8 in California passed denying a short lived civil right and expanding the punishment of the tyranny of the ill informed masses. One day with the new kitchen floor and the new tiles are already cracking.
Thomas Monson and I must have yelled, "WTF," over Proposition 8 passing at the same time. I couldn't believe a state concerned about the rights of slaughter chicken took a civil right away by changing their state constitution. Monson actually read the proposition and discovered there was no provisioning making Proposition 8 retroactive, thus the nearly 18,000 same-sex marriages taking place up to November 4th, were still legal.
An entity (GOD only knows whoMormons that would be) will have to sue the state of California, and the same court giving me civil rights will once again decide if they should be taken away again, and them some. Monson bought himself a 40 million dollar issue that won't go away for quite a while as my marriage will remain in legal limbo until the yahoos that be, figure things out. California has a mess in their kitchen and I can't wait to hear the language used between those contractors. My contractor, I can't understand him at all and I think during our last discussion I purchased his mother.
Growing up in a military family, protesting simply wasn't done and largely left to communist liberals and students skipping class. Protests are still filled with the usual lot and you can continue to look forward to my conservative and water cannon views on anti-war/nuke protesters. So what am I doing protesting during my vacation not once, but twice? I've finally felt an injustice important enough to me to march, speak out and show my displeasure my creating some social, even anti-social noise.
I now understand the emotions of protesters and social activists from history. When you've got nowhere to go (Sorry Bubba, but Antarctica is owned by penguins and Russians and they don't want me either) you most certainly need a burning car or Cindy Sheehan's motor home to spread the word. And folks, I'm 35, with a proper job, pay my taxes (mostly) and speak in tongues to my floor contractor for tearing instead of cutting adhesive tile around cabinet corners.
There were no water cannons, plastic bullets, tear gas, burning cars, smashed store fronts or arrests involved with any of these protests. Quite boring sounding really, but what was involved was a great deal of warm feelings knowing thousands across the country recognize a disservice has been done. I'll have a great story to tell my adopted kids in Arkansas how their dads (and dog) protested and fought to make our family a reality.
Obama maintains a stay for his rather silent approach to "my" issue and Utah will have no snow this year if I have anything to do with it. The free pass was offered to Obama to get him into office but now there, come Cherry Blossom time and when Monson has a tan from laying out at the Salt Lake beach all winter long, "our" Million Man march will have a very different take and maybe Obama will remember when his mother got married to his father, three fourths of America found that rather illegal and disturbing.
In the mean time, I'll not ask the contractor to paint the kitchen as I'd like to be able to use my refrigerator door without prying it open due to it being painted shut. Much like California will spend a good bit of time figuring out how to open and shut a civil rights policy painted over with green cash and protectively sealed with glossy hate. However if my contractor doesn't get the floor right, I might just as well set his truck on fire. I'm due!
Eric
Here's a link to the photos I took while at the Wednesday night protest against the Mormon church and the Saturday protest against Proposition 8 and/or to tell NY state and our country to get their act together!
http://picasaweb.google.com/
Sunday, November 16, 2008
My First (and second) Protest Ever
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