Anchorage’s Non-Discrimination Ordinance – New Developments
Today, new developments arise in the matter of controversial Assembly ordinance #64. The ordinance would add the words “sexual orientation” to the city’s non-discrimination law. Those two little words have drawn battle lines, and made Assembly meetings look like a weird hybrid of football game, church revival and street fair.
Walking into the Loussac Library feels like the moment when you hold your nose, take a deep breath and jump in the pool, not knowing quite how cold it’s going to be. The brain chemicals are pumping, and the emotions eminating from reds and blues alike make the air thick, and wear down the emotions in short order.
The “red shirt brigade” doesn’t want this ordinance to pass. They know that 1) the majority of citizens in Anchorage do want it to pass 2) the Assembly is likely to vote for it 3) Mayor Matt Claman will not veto it.
Mayor Matt Claman
So, they plan a filibuster. Mayor Claman will no longer be mayor after July 1. At that time, conservative Dan Sullivan will take over. They hope that he will veto the ordinance. So they cancel church services on Wednesday night to get people to testify. They bus in people from the Valley, who aren’t even Anchorage residents.
They usher in Christian youth groups who are visiting from the Lower 48 to hold professionally printed signs and wear donated red t-shirts. They want to make the line so long that this will roll over, 3 minutes at a time, into a Sullivan administration. They’re hoping for the veto.
Assembly Chair Debbie Ossiander
Assembly Chair Debbie Ossiander allowed two full days to sign up to give testimony. About 550 people signed up, and after three nights of testimony, about half of them were heard. Ossiander announced the decision to cut off the sign up, and finish up with those who were already on the list. There were many complaints. After (presumably) a legal opinion was rendered. Ossiander reversed her position, and will allow more people to sign up. This means more hours and days of:
Love the sinner, hate the sin.
Gays have more germs.
I don’t want pedophiles in my four-plex!
They’re all going to “recruit” our children!
There will be dozens…no hundreds of lawsuits!
It’s going to bankrupt the city and ruin my business!
This is all going to lead to sex with donkeys!!! (no I’m not kidding)
My kid’s teacher is going to show up in a dress!
My teenage daughter was traumatized by a man in a dress in the ladies’ room! (This seems to be a frequent complaint at these meetings…)
~~~Shannyn Moore really has to pee. But, what if.....
We don’t need to do anything to “encourage this behavior.”
Jesus doesn’t approve of homosexuals.
You’re denying people the right to act on their religious beliefs.
It’s a choice whether you want to be a pervert or not.
I used to be gay, but I prayed real hard and now I’m cured!
You gays think you have it bad….you never had to sit at the back of the bus!
What if a transsexual comes in to the men’s room and stands there watching me pee?
I’m never going to want to hire a gay person again because now if I fire them for bad job performance, they’re all going to sue me.
And my personal favorite (in light of all of the above), “We don’t need this ordinance. There is no discrimination in this town.”
and on and on and on and on and on….
Mayor Claman is finishing out the term begun by former Mayor now Senator Mark Begich. He stepped up from his Assembly seat to fill in. So when Sullivan starts, Claman is back on the Assembly and an additional yes vote. Then there’s Assemblyman Dan Coffey, widely rumored to be leaving the Assembly to serve as Sullivan’s Chief of Staff. That’s one less no vote. It takes 8 votes of the Assembly for a veto-proof majority, and with one extra yes and one less no…the odds change.
And nobody knows for certain what Dan Sullivan will do. Rumors are swirling that he’s kind of dreading having it land in his lap. That’s a heck of a way to start off a squeaky clean, brand new administration. Kinda like that scene in “Carrie” when Sissy Spacek shows up at the prom in the pretty dress ready for the night of her life, and then …. the bucket dump.
Surely Sullivan is not looking forward to angering the very loud, very obnoxious minority and incur “the wrath of the red shirts.” Neither is he going to want to alienate the less loud, voting majority who will see a veto as the new mayor caving in to a radical religious fringe group who are acting like bullies.
And regardless of how the Assembly vote pans out, we are likely to have a ballot initiative next time around. A little more than 5,000 signatures will be needed to put the question to the people. Both sides have talked about this strategy should the ruling not go their way. But can the people vote democratically on matters of civil liberties? We certainly couldn’t vote slavery back, even with a majority. We’ve yet to have this issue addressed.
Another Alaskan soap opera in the making.
[h/t Shannyn Moore for the amazing video]
I, for one, will admit to using the men’s room when the line at the women’s room was too long for my bladder to tolerate. This has happened on several occasions at concerts and sporting events. Personally, I really am not concerned about the bathroom issue. It’s a complete red herring… but, I’m preaching to the choir, as it were.
You forgot to mention their argument that since animals don’t have gay sex (not true) people shouldn’t have gay sex. Therefore they’re saying people should have sex like animals do.
I guess opponents of the ordinance want people (okay heterosexual people) to have sex the way animals do, and we all know animals will have sex whenever and wherever the mood hits em. Want to have sex on the People Mover, go for it! Sex in the asssembly hall during an assembly? Why not, it’s only natural.
But some animals are non-monogamous, oh my! Animals can be such sinners!
TBNTJudy Says:
That being said, I do know that things have changed since I lived there, but one thing I have learned by living a number of different places in the U.S. is that the South does not have the corner on the market for ignorance.
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No offense meant…I’m very sorry if you read it as a sweeping generalization of people in the south, and it was certainly not intended as such. The two friends who tried to talk me into moving down there were some of the greatest people I’ve known, and among many I met who were open minded and welcoming. However, the conversation I referred to earlier was shocking as I had never encountered someone as educated as he was who sincerely believed that the origins of the universe and a terrorist bomb could in any way be compared. The abandonment of logic for blind adherence to religious dogma was pretty startling to me and, obviously, had quite an impact on me since I’ve remembered the conversation for more than ten years. Of course, we are witnessing the same kind behavior in the testimony of Prevo’s followers during the past few days and I find that very sad. Hopefully, the younger generations will learn to embrace and value differences rather than fear them.
Great report, loved the video. I listened to the last two Anchorage testimonies and was appalled at the hate speech the red shirts spouted. There were so many Bible verses quoted, which were totally irrelevant to the issue at hand. I agree that free speech entitles all city STAKEHOLDERS – citizens, and maybe business owners and landlords – to have their say, but strongly disagree that local outsiders should be allowed to express their opinions. My husband is head of a city department and attends council meetings here. Citizen participants must state their address and zip code in order to speak at any meetings. If that is not a rule in Anch. now, then it should be in the future. I’ve come to believe that Ms. Ossiander deliberately sabotaged the outcome of the hearings by allowing outsiders to speak (someone from Wisconsin spoke on Tues!) and by extending the sign up time. The other council members should be furious about this as well as the Anchorage residents.
(((bubbles))) (((AussieGal77))) (((DonnaInMichigan))) Not good to be discriminated against for any reason. We’re trying to cover your backs, but it would be nice if there were more of us. P.S. Donna – where in MI? I’m in Northville.
@ DonnaInMichigan Says:
June 20th, 2009 at 7:13 AM
“My son Michael is Gay…….Julie’s son is Straight.
Now you tell ME, which young man is more of a liability to society.”
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Thanks for sharing, what powerful points you make that even ignorant ‘red shirts’ might be able to comprehend! You must be so proud that he turned into such a fine young man.
ADN will not show my posts even though they are legitimate. However, the bible verses are strongly represented as proof against gay people. What has happened to the Daily News? I moved from AK after 20 years here and I always loved it . Still have a ski condo in Girdwood. However, I am so sad, tearful when I read about the hate and discrimination that abounds in Alaska. When will this end? Jerry Prevo still running the show? Sad sad man.
@ leenie17, I grew up and was educated in the deep South. We learned the theory of evolution, and we were not taught anything about creationism in school. In church, of course, we learned the bible stories, but no one ever tried to tell us that science and the bible were in conflict. Maybe that was because I was in an Episcopal church, but it seems that we did not take the bible as being literal word. Just as not everyone in the South is a racist, not everyone believes as the man you describe. That being said, I do know that things have changed since I lived there, but one thing I have learned by living a number of different places in the U.S. is that the South does not have the corner on the market for ignorance.
austintx Says:
leenie17 – I saw this and it made me think of your post. Did you have to sign any “contract” like this ??
http://www.reddit.com/r/atheism/comments/8u1jl/is_this_legal_my_sister_recently
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YIKES!!! Fortunately I live in NY where we’re a little more progressive and actually recognize evolution…and even TEACH it (oh the horror!)!
Friends of mine tried to convince me some years ago to move down to the deep south. While I was down there for a work project, a young man (college educated with his own business) told me that the Oklahoma City bombing proved that the Big Bang theory was “a lot of hooey”. I started to laugh until I realized he was serious. He then explained that it was also a big explosion but there were no new life forms created from it, thus the proof. I shut my mouth, realizing that there was just no way to argue with that kind of logic!
# 43
Sue Says:
June 20th, 2009 at 1:18 PM
“It appears to me that everyone at this event was expressing his opinion and exercising his right to free speech. Even if we disagree with what is said, we must still allow each person the right to freedom of speech.”
___________________________________________________________
You are right, Sue, and that is exactly what the people on this blog are doing: exercising their right to free speech by disagreeing with the Red Shirters. I don’t know about you, but I could not stomach watching the entire thing so I have no idea how much the Red Shirt *free speech* wandered into the hate-speech arena, but IMHO, hate speech should not be tolerated.
Plus, I agree with all the posters who wonder why Anchorage is allowing people who don’t live there to testify. That completely boggles my mind.
leenie17 – I saw this and it made me think of your post. Did you have to sign any “contract” like this ??
http://www.reddit.com/r/atheism/comments/8u1jl/is_this_legal_my_sister_recently_took_a_job_as_an/
It appears to me that everyone at this event was expressing his opinion and exercising his right to free speech. Even if we disagree with what is said, we must still allow each person the right to freedom of speech.
leenie17
“but ya just can’t ‘catch’ gay!”
——
When I read that, I admit I laughed just knowing how paranoid the reds are. I couldn’t help but think — the vision of a blue shirt bumping into a red shirt. Oops, sorry, didn’t mean to touch you. The red shirt runs away screaming.
Seeing and hearing the rhetoric from them — it actually wouldn’t surprise me
Some of these red-shirters would be horrified to work in my school. It’s a small elementary school and there are at least five current and two former staff members who are gay (that I know of!) and it’s just not a big deal. They don’t try to ‘recruit’ the students because they know from personal experience that you’re either born gay or not. (Sorry red folks, but ya just can’t ‘catch’ gay!) They don’t discuss their private lives in detail, which is maybe why they’re called ‘PRIVATE’ lives! Some of our colleagues probably don’t even know that they’re gay because they are professional in their attire and behavior…wow, what a concept!
A couple of them have brought their partners to school activities but have been discreet about their specific relationships. One of them is in one of the most stable, loving families (with 4 adopted children including 2 with emotional disabilities) that I know. None of the students in my school have been affected in any negative way by any of these people. One of these teachers has, in fact, gone above and beyond to help several struggling students to improve their academic skills and develop a deep love of reading. Yeah, THAT sure sounds dangerous!!!
35 aussiegal77 Says:
June 20th, 2009 at 8:54 AM
Dear Asian Girl with the Stupid Sign!
****************************************************
Could that be Eddie Burkes wife ?? She is Asian.
Will the Mudflats store be selling any Annoy Jerry Think for Yourself bumper stickers and shirts?
hey austintx. it is still raining here. i have never seen a june like this. unbelievable. some new yorkers are blaming sarah palin for this unseasonable weather. she may like new york but we do not like her. we just got rid of rush limpballs and believe me miss lady should not make it a habit to eat out in new york. just sayin’
way to go aussiegirl. i feel the the same way about some of my people not standing up for what is righteous and proper and FAIR. i want my people,and by that i mean every living soul in america to have the right to live their lives as they see fit.as long as they respect others’ and fulfil their obligations to society” i say let them enjoy life and love and children and flowers and animals and all that GOOD STUFF…. we can’t have enough love in this world.
Hate is such a waste of an emotion.
It does appear to be alive and well in the non-native sections of Alaska though and red is the perfect colour for these sad individuals – the rabid red of rage, the red of high blood-pressure, the red of intolerance. It’s such a failure of intellect when one chooses the easy road of hatred over that of tolerance and kindness. The sign that proclaims that the “Lord is in Alaska” (or whatever it says) obviously refers to the Lord of the Flies. There aint’ nuttin’ Christian or Godly happenin’ up there with these cretins braying in the streets.
Dear Asian Girl with the Stupid Sign!
As a fellow Asian – I am APPALLED at your ignorance. But more than anything – WHY are you wearing a rice paddy hat? Doesn’t that just further the stereotype of Asians as rice picking people with weird names and weird accents? Why don’t you just go all the way and don a mask with “slanty” eyes?
Geez girlfriend – way to represent.
As for being born an Asian – your silly sign makes it sound like it was a crap shoot and you LOST. “Hey – I was BORN like this, what’s YOUR excuse?”
PUH-LEASE. Pull your head out of your silly hat, think for yourself and realise that civil rights is civil rights. We’re ALL born to them. Unalienable rights? Remember that? Yeh – it doesn’t say “Unalienable rights ONLY if you’re straight”.
Get a clue and stop embarrassing us. And “us” I mean reasonable, sensible human beings everywhere. Including Asians.
Pat, Washington state,
He may answer that it’s his child and therefore not see it as recruitment, but it remains the fact:
“They ushered in Christian youth groups who are visiting from the Lower 48 to hold professionally printed signs and wear donated red t-shirts.”
Knowing the many things that you require signed approvals from parents, it raises the question too — Wouldn’t you need parent’s permission for the kids to participate in a rally? Considering the week before, one of the red attired participants left the property in a police car!!
Ossiander should NEVER have reopened sign ups for testimony. 500+ is MORE than enough opportunity for the council to hear opinions. She should have closed debate before that. Opening it up for more people to sign up just shows she is controlling this issue by allowing this filibuster by people who have NO SAY and NO VOTE in the community that is deciding this issue.
It’s CA Prop 8 all over again.
Can the council override Sullivan’s veto? If not, you are sure going to be sorry Sullivan won. And that could have been avoided by the Dems working together as a unit and having only ONE candidate to run against him and everyone uniting behind that one candidate.
Live and learn. If you thought it wasn’t any big deal Sullivan winning…well….64 is the answer.
It must be awful to live in fear of 1.5 % of the people. (taken from one of their signs) And what is it like, I wonder, to feel that your religion is only safe if everyone is just like you and thinks like you and lives like you? As a Christian, I’m amazed to see their bigotry and I honestly think they’ve missed reading the part of the Bible where Jesus goes out of his way to include those who are NOT like him and who are on the outside of society.
Personally, though, my favorite photo is of the man in the suit holding a baby with the sign that says “Gays recruit children”. Um, sorry to point this out, but there is a child in your arms that you have “recruited” and there are a ton of children and teens in the crowd, dressed in red, who have been “recruited” to your cause, so does that mean that all those who have brought their children or teens are. . . gay? I really wish someone would ask them that. It’d be fun to see them try to stammer out their answer. Just sayin.
Hi bubbles !!
Bubbles – love you back!
gardenslug and tigerwine~~~gardenslug i thank you for spotting that nasty comment. i usually ignore that posters’ comments, sensing something off. not quite right. i am Black and proud . i have an inner radar about people and akm would be wise to put miss thing in her place.~~~~tigerwine please give your friend the info on mudfats. it is a worthwhile community of loving and caring people and believe me your friend can handle the odd sociopath. we do it everyday of our lives. i love you tigerwine and gardenslug. you are lovely….b
“Assembly Chair Debbie Ossiander allowed two full days to sign up to give testimony. About 550 people signed up, and after three nights of testimony, about half of them were heard. Ossiander announced the decision to cut off the sign up, and finish up with those who were already on the list. There were many complaints. After (presumably) a legal opinion was rendered. Ossiander reversed her position, and will allow more people to sign up.”
If I was on the City Assembly I’d be very angry with Ms. Ossiander, even if ‘paid per meeting’ – Money is just money, you can always make more of that. But wasted time can never be regained.
Add the fact she extended a speaking deadline AND allowed Non-Anchorage residents (i.e., persons not affected by the ordinance) and it looks darn suspicious.
Hope everyone is keeping tallies of how their representatives are voting on the issues.
Elections are like the number 7 bus … one just may have passed, but there’s always another one coming!
Scrolling down the pictures, I did a coffee spit seeing the pic of Shannyn’s Pee dilemma!! Do I? Don’t I? Oh My!!
A number of the Mudpups blogging from the livestream could not help but notice the number of times the washroom talking point was used — as if the people had been provided talking points before attending the public assembly. We were all laughing in disbelief for how many were fixated on it.
When a number of them said they spoke to security, and security told them there was nothing they could do. That’s a glaring hint that the Assembly should have called the Security into the room and asked them if they had discussions on the issue. How to take the wind out of the sails right there and then on in-camera public proceedings.
I still wonder, have there ever been public hearings open to non-residents, and even more so non-resident Alaskans. If not — why now??
There appeared to be a few that spoke on Wednesday that looked familiar from Tuesday. Even the Assembly Chair asked.
By the end of the meeting, I know they were discussing the date of the next meeting but by then, I don’t think any of us could digest what they decided on as by then — the brains had OD’d on the cherry picked bible passage reading, the hate thumping, the preacher jumping, animal humping, washroom stumping red rhetoric.
I kind of wish the video had ended with Watson’s picture.
DonnaInMichigan Says:
June 20th, 2009 at 7:13 AM
My best friend Julie has a son name Mark. I have a son name Michael. Julie and I have been best of friends since elementary school. We’ve been through a lot, her and I. The ups and downs of life. Our boys are 2 months apart.
Her son Mark, at the age of 17 started to get into a lot of trouble, with the law. Drug abuse, stealing, dui’s etc. Mark has always been a “user”. He uses people to get what he can from them. Be it a place to live, drugs, food, money. He is a high school drop-out. Mark has never held down a job in his life. His parents kicked him out of their home, when he was 19. Right now, the State of Michigan is housing and feeding him.
My son Michael, was a honor roll student in school. He graduated with a 4.25 gpa, from high school, he went on to Central Michigan University, graduated with Engineering Design degree. He is now employed with OUR government designing Hummers, for our men in the service. My son owns his own home, his own vehicle, he pays his taxes, property taxes, pays his bills on time, and is involves himself with community and with charitable works.
My son Michael is Gay…….Julie’s son is Straight.
Now you tell ME, which young man is more of a liability to society.
***********************************************************
You don’t achieve things like that hanging around in bathrooms. Cheers for being proud of you son.
The red shirts don’t want to hire a gay person. I don’t want to hire a member of Jerry Pervo’s church. Why should one of these be legal and the other not?
My best friend Julie has a son name Mark. I have a son name Michael. Julie and I have been best of friends since elementary school. We’ve been through a lot, her and I. The ups and downs of life. Our boys are 2 months apart.
Her son Mark, at the age of 17 started to get into a lot of trouble, with the law. Drug abuse, stealing, dui’s etc. Mark has always been a “user”. He uses people to get what he can from them. Be it a place to live, drugs, food, money. He is a high school drop-out. Mark has never held down a job in his life. His parents kicked him out of their home, when he was 19. Right now, the State of Michigan is housing and feeding him.
My son Michael, was a honor roll student in school. He graduated with a 4.25 gpa, from high school, he went on to Central Michigan University, graduated with Engineering Design degree. He is now employed with OUR government designing Hummers, for our men in the service. My son owns his own home, his own vehicle, he pays his taxes, property taxes, pays his bills on time, and is involves himself with community and with charitable works.
My son Michael is Gay…….Julie’s son is Straight.
Now you tell ME, which young man is more of a liability to society.
Miri Ben-Ari — Symphony of Brotherhood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kfszjw8rL8
It was pretty obvious that who ever was from Anchorage mentioned it when they spoke. It didn’t seem to be that many. I have lived a few places and countries and have never heard of a never ending process where people can just keep signing up. Our community limits to one or two days. Anything beyond that is requested in writing. What a huge waste of time and tax dollars. I bet the assembly gets paid by the meeting.
i just HAD to youtube Amy Ray after that video
here is another very good one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHRTrHbZYRk
Is there a way to read Debbie Ossiander’s decisions to 1) allow testimony from people outside Anchorage and 2) allow people to continue to sign up after the first sign-up period as something other than an overt attempt to scuttle this measure?? I’m having a difficult time seeing it as anything other than that.
oops! mortal MEN, not mortal ME. I don’t have time to write a whole Bible!
🙂
I don’t get the whole “Truth is not Hate” thing.
What “truth” do they speak of? That somewhere in the Bible there is a passage about the Lord hating gays, which they can’t seem to locate? And that “truth” is what they should base government legislation on?
What “truth” is not “hate”?
They DO know the Bible was written by mortal me so that society would behave the way THEY wanted them to, right? It’s not like God or Jesus penned it themselves.
And if God so regularly spoke in clear language to the authors of the Bible (“Hey, Leviticus! This is God. Take a letter for me, will you? Write this down, dress it up a bit, and make sure the masses are on the distribution list. This is REALLY gonna get ’em!”), why won’t he just advise me ONCE on which jeans to wear?
Sure, it’s not about the morality of the land or anything, but sometimes I REALLY don’t know which ones to wear!
Are these Red-shirted protesters abusing these children that they are busing in and forcing to stand beside busy roads, carrying signs and listening to testimony that discusses topics better left for adult audiences?
How is it right to let people speak, who not only don’t live in Anchorage, but not even in Alaska?
why isn’t is restricted to residents where the ordinance would be in force? If it’s Anchorage only, then they can still discriminate in the swamp they come from.
Can you imagine all those red shirted young teen girls decked out in their TIGHT fitting shirts to really display the bosoms – just dying to pee themselves?
But too terrified, after hearing all the “traumatized by a man in a dress in the ladies’ room!” that had been relentlessly testified about. Poor kids were probably feeling backed up to the eyeballs, wanting to find a safe bush in order to relieve themselves. I’m surprised the Xians didn’t haul in red colored Porta Potties on the back of the buses, then hauling out their stinkiness back to wherever they bussed from.
I figured out the very first night when Debbie Ossiander decided to not limit the hearings to tax paying residents, that she was going to make darn sure this filibuster was going to happen. Her pathetic bleat of “she has suspected” a filibuster was in progress
speaks volumes! Ossiander probably got a giggle at the relentless verbal abuse being hammered while wearing her ‘concerned & caring’ facade.
Graham let out a laugh and said: “I’ve got plenty of sins that I’m not going to share with anyone else.”
Is it true that Sen. Lindsey Graham is coming to speak ?? Just can’t decide whether to wear red or blue. Come out already Lindsey.
http://wonkette.com/409294/lindsey-graham-please-just-tell-us-your-secrets-already
There was absolutely NO reason whatsoever to allow those who do not live or work in Anchorage a voice on this proposed ordinance. I also disagree with this idea of equal treatment is somehow akin to special rights. Simply put if your religious beliefs tell you that it is a sin or wrong to be homosexual, that is fine, they are your religious beliefs and you are entitled to feel that way, but your beliefs cannot and should not be forced upon everyone who should be treated equally and fairly under the rule of law. It is pretty simple really. To say that there is no discrimination is simply a lie, one only has to attend the meetings, and see the people protesting to know it is a lie.
I have no ability to understand this idea that wanting to be treated equally under the rule of law is somehow asking for “special treatment”.
These people who are using their religious beliefs to promote the idea that it is okay to not only discriminate, but to actively promote the idea that there are people who are not worthy of being treated equally and fairly within our system of laws is beyond comprehension to me, and in my personal opinion shows why allowing religious beliefs a voice in regards to what our laws should be and the basis for them coming from a religious viewpoint is an absolutely horrific idea.
Have we not learned anything from the Middle East?
Cherrythetart, your genius is exceeded only by your devious mind!!
Everyone seems to like the hearings. If I started a new administration with this going on, I would hold one hearing for four hours weekly with coffee and cake until nobody wanted to come and speak anymore.
I would film every moment of the sessions and notify all media such film exists. I would then sell clips to all media and notify every blogger and documentary film maker in America that they were going on.
Then I would pay all expenses of the hearings with the proceeds from selling the clips and the right to film the proceedings. If there are any monies left (and there will be a truckload) use it to fund a worthy charity.
I would not preside. I would pay someone to run them. And let everyone know we would be reviewing their testimony carefully and then publishing a report on the results. That might take months, a year even.
By the time you got to the end of all of that, you will have worn everybody out and no one will do this ever again.
Problem solved.
I would bet a $100.00 on it.
Gardenslug #6 – thanks for bringing this to AKM’s attention. I, too, was concerned about this, especially since I had just gotten in touch with an old schoolmate, who, it turns out, despises SP as much as all of us do. I was going to suggest she log onto the Flats, but didn’t when I saw the first post. My friend is black.
Perhaps Anchorage people also ought to think about an ordinance limiting testimony to Anchorage residents and/or charging testimonial fees to non-Anchorage residents (the latter is more likely to fly as it raises revenue 🙂 )
Convening A Blogger Ethics Panel
I have to point out that even with the most outlandish example of the worst aspects of blogging, the liberal blogosphere collectively shows way more sense and honesty than either the cable news-driven media or the right wing bloggers. It’s not a coincidence that the person who did the most to spread the Palin pregnancy rumor doesn’t fit the liberal blogger mold. The only reason the story got much oxygen at all was that Andrew Sullivan spent time as an establishment media figure and then as a right wing blogger before becoming an Obama supporter. Both of these fields downright encourage that sort of Drudge-worshipping lack of standards, and both for the same reason—they get lavish rewards on the occasions that their rumor-mongering turns out to be right, and everyone politely ignores it when they get egg on their faces. Sullivan didn’t realize that changing camps meant the rules had changed.
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/06/19/convening_a_blogger_ethics_panel/?ref=c3
These “redshirts” are insane. Those signs are offensive – and the way to counter them is to bus in a gay parade full of gay couples holding hands, kissing and showing their love. They would run away screaming.
On another topic, It’s Juneteenth weekend. The n-word still appears twice on the the open thread from June 17th, posts 139 and 142. I e-mailed AKM about it a couple days ago but, she is probably inundated with e-mails and hasn’t seen my complaint.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but in my opinion the handling of these hearings has been completely farcical. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone is already talking to a lawyer about it.
But if you were on the north lawn, rather than driving by, you’d have seen an entirely different scene: it was practically a rave. DJ Dan on the turntables, dropping techno and dance music, with kids dancing; a picnic with Moose’s Tooth pizza, and hundreds of people, not necessarily in colored shirts, laughing, laying on the grass, while police and security officers watched from the top of the hill with smiles on their faces. Assemblyman Patrick Flynn, a proponent of the ordinance, strolled through during the assembly’s dinner break, and seemed surprised at the party that had broken out.
http://www.anchoragepress.com/articles/2009/06/20/news/doc4a396817cba1e429463229.txt
Tolerance = knowledge, curiosity, questioning
Fear = we say the sky is falling because we don’t understand physics and won’t ask or learn anything about it. Therefore, physics do not exist. We look for things to be afraid of – if there aren’t any close by, we make them up.
Great write-up and great video (that is a fantastic song by Amy Ray)
Excellant recap on this important issue