Open Letter to Elizabeth Lauten, Communications Director for Rep. Fincher

Dear Ms. Lauten,

This letter is to register my disgust over the smearing tactics you employed in your "Open Letter To Sasha & Malia".

This is what I see after having seen and then replayed the video and gone over the stills of the event:

1.  Teen girls dressed appropriately for their ages:

Sasha wore hose and bobby socks to accessorize her dress with it's neckline hitting the collar bone, and a long cardigan.  Her hands were gracefully composed in front of her in a classic, modest pose.

Malia wore dark tights with her plaid skirt and grey crew neck sweater.  Her body posture is more guarded as she hugs herself and has a slightly tilted hip. 

Neither is a big deal.  They're dressed as appropriately as many government and diplomats adolescent children dress in Washington.   Their fashion is appropriate. 

2.  Fresh faces.  Not a hint of make up. This is nice because it doesn't mask their expressions.  Now, as I'm not a big ol' smiler normally, I don't see their expressions as sullen.  Their eyes are cast in the direction of their father.  Not away from him.  This is important.  If they were being sullen, IF they were being disrespectful they would have been looking away from him.

3.  Their eyes roll as their dad made a lame joke about the turkeys.  Yes they did and it's ok.  Teens do this.  They roll their eyes at dumb jokes.  So do children younger than they, adults, middle aged and elderly people.

4.  The Turkey Pardon is theater.  It has been Presidential theater for many decades.  But it is not a high solemn event.  It is not a matter of state.   So what if they didn't want to pet the turkey!   In my 30s, we had a friend who raised one and it was unpredictable as hell.  Anytime I tried petting it, its reaction and flapping around was unnerving.  This isn't the Obama daughter's first rodeo with the Turkey Pardon, so I reckon they've already learned that birds do not react in picture perfect ways.  Better to eschew the petting entirely than have the bird react less than calmly. 

What offends me about your bilious spew was the character assassination of their parents with  "Then again your mother and father don’t respect their positions very much, or the nation for that matter, so I’m guessing you’re coming up a little short in the ‘good role model’ department" combined with the racist undertones about black women's perceived sexual availability:  "Dress like you deserve respect, not a spot at a bar."

Our President's daughters, Malia and Sasha, have never behaved disrespectfully in any capacity where they've appeared in in the public eye whether here in the US or travelling abroad.  They are always observably modest and respectful, not only to the public, but their parents as well.  If rolling their eyes over a lame joke is a horror show of disrespect, then your standards of teenaged civility are impossible to meet in the first place.

It is also clear that these are girls who love and are loved by their parents.

And I bet that is really what chaps your butt.

Shame on you.  Your apology was made because you got caught being cruel to people who didn't deserve it, but don't think for a minute that folks don't see it for the political face saving gesture that it is.  Prayer?  Regret?  Unbelievable!

Morgan Sheridan

The Cos

I'm sad about the Cos.

Real sad.

He was hip and cool when I was growing up.  His comedy about growing up with his brother and the mystery of kids and parents and enduring in the world created not just empathy but a sense of common ground.

At some point, I heard a rumor or two, but they didn't affect me and he was the Cos.   Cool and avuncular.

Rumors get forgotten and then all of a sudden they get uncovered and thrown into daylight again.   But as more voices speak up, a pattern emerges.  And the avuncular man who showed us common ground and the understandings of that common ground becomes both tawdry and corrupted.

The pattern of voices is too large to ignore.  And while my path never crossed his, my experience has intersected with the women's voices saying "He did this thing to me."  and I know they're honest voices speaking, too.   There is a point where settlements and statutes of limitations expire and the sordid reality is finally revealed.

I'm sad that one of my beloved icons turned out to be unworthy.   At my age, I know can't dispense with the lessons I learned from feeling elements of common ground or intersectionality (which is a kind of new concept I'm learning about at 60).  The lessons learned are in my bones at this point.  On the other hand, it sucks that he turned out to be so much less.

Go See Jim at Stonekettle Station

There is a fine new post Jim Wright has written up at Stonekettle Station.  I do recommend reading it.  The link is over in my Good Links column. 

Your Consideration Requested

Not too long ago, in May and in another forum, I wrote a message to an acquaintance, a person I've long respected asking for input on a question that was and remains of concern to me.   The person I asked is a person who, over the years, has regularly written about honoring and respecting people's innate humanity and has been a well regarded voice of wisdom and compassion in a broader community.  Yet I received no reply.  Finally, a few days short of two months I broke down prodded said respected person about an answer to that question. 

A few moments after that prodding, I received an answer that I'd waited two months on.  It was along the lines of "I've learned not to comment on XYZ topic."  All right.  It's an answer.  It's basic, short honest answer.  My reply to that acquaintance was that I can accept that, but what I can't understand is leaving me to think my question was unworthy of any reply.  Thinking on it more, I still don't get it.

How hard is it to reply within 24-48 hours of getting a message asking a question?  I can understand unavoidable delays and circumstances.  But making a person wait and wait?  Where is the common courtesy in that? 

There is also a set of non-verbal messages that gets conveyed when someone ignores another person's questions and includes things like:  You don't matter.  You're not valuable.  Your concerns are (choose as many as fits the bill):
A. Worthless
B.  Unfounded
C.  Controversial
D.  Pointless
E.  blah, blah, blah. 

I don't regret the asking. 




 

Resistance

http://billmoyers.com/2014/02/21/henry-giroux-on-resisting-the-neoliberal-revolution/

The Music He Writes Isn't A Give-Away

I came across this story at Digital Music News about a musical artist, NJ White, who told a British producer "No, I won't give you my property for free."

Read it and celebrate:  http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2013/11/06/whitey

Per the closing line, I'm re-blogging this story to make sure it gets spread far and wide. 

A New Low In NM: Rape and Medical Torture Under Badge of Authority

Here is the story:  http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S3209305.shtml?cat=500#.  UnmEg3CsjAn and it included the court filings from the victim's attorneys. 

Here is what I wrote in an email to Gila Regional Medical Center: 

"This is to express my outraged disapproval over your hospital's participation in the rape and medical torture under color of authority of David Eckert and then having the gall to bill him for the acts committed against him against his consent.  What your institution has done, along with the doctors and other medical staff, was beyond immoral.    Medical misconduct like this should remain in the history books, telling about the Nazi's forced medical experimentation or the excesses of Argentine army doctors in the 70's participating in the torture and execution of dissidents and their family members.  This should not be happening in a New Mexican hospital in the United States of America.  That man was raped.  How dare you fail to stand up for Mr. Eckert and his welfare!?!? 

Every doctor, nurse and technician in your institution personally involved in this debacle should be stripped of their licenses for life!  Your ethical review panel should all resign their positions.  Your legal counsel should be disbarred.  Your institution is a disgrace and will forever known for the crimes committed against Mr. Eckert.  Whatever fines and settlements you may bestow on him later, it will never excuse the egregious abuse inflicted on that man by your institution.

With the deepest anger and contempt,

[My name
My former military rank, branch and years served ]"

I'm really pissed off about this.  The police were doing everything they could to try and construct a drug case out of thin air against this man!  And they raped him - caused him to be raped by medical doctors - to further that end and used an invalid warrant to do so!  This is disgusting.  Eckert was raped and tortured.  Here in the U.S.  In 2013.  This happened here.  I have no good will for the doctors involved in this as my letter to Gila Regional Medical Center can attest.  The police... oh, gods, they need to be investigated, taken before a grand jury, and sent to trial for their abuses of Mr. Eckert.   Fuck the war on drugs.  It has been lost and innocent people like Eckert have been brutalized for far too long for no good reason.  This is unacceptable and un-American conduct against our citizens.  It is wrong. 

They Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1933-45 by Milton Mayer, an excerpt

This is a timely read today, dear friends.   

They Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1933-45 by Milton Mayer, an excerpt

Really, Rupert?

In regard to the ongoing News of The World scandal, "Murdoch told them: "We're talking about payments for news tips from cops: that's been going on a hundred years."

Really, Rupert?  You don't get that it is still corrupt whether it's been going on a century or just started an hour ago?  Silly old man.

Blergh

For the last few weeks, I've been doing really well keeping to my changed diet which has bumped up complex carbs (veggies and some fruit), protein and that kind of thing.  No simple carbs.  So today while doing chores, I got it in my head that I wanted some eggs, canadian bacon and toast as a late lunch.  So I made them the way I usually have since I was a kid.  Looked good and tasted fine.  But now, I just feel kinda blergh...  I guess that meal will suffice for lunch/dinner.  Maybe later tonight, I'll snack on some sliced cucumbers, hummus and a few olives.