It's Time To Act On Guns

Columbine.  Virginia Tech.  Gabby Giffords.  Aurora.  Wisconsin.  Newtown.  And those are just the beginning.  Mass shootings in the United States are beginning to feel like a national pandemic and it's long past time that we not only have a real conversation about it, but take real action.  How many more times do we need to tune in to the chaos, horror, and devastating aftermath before we say to every gun interest group, the lives of real people far outweigh your "I get to have a gun because it says so" argument?

Let's start with gun control.  Is it just me or does it seem a bit odd that regular people across the USA feel the need to own a semi-automatic military grade rifle?  What on earth are you using that for?  If you say "hunting deer" then I say you may as well pull a Dick Cheney and just ride around drunk in the back of a van because there is no "sport" in shooting ten rounds a second at an indefensible animal.  I'd also like to note that I would far prefer the "best armed" people remain police officers and military personnel.  There is no way to feel more "safe" than to keep heavy artillery in the hands of just those who are charged with protecting our well-being.

Okay, so now we've got the crazy guns restricted.  What about the rest of them?  Unfortunately, the second amendment exists and while it's hundreds of years old and really refers to militias (which, from what I can tell, aren't all that necessary anymore) and has NO MODERN APPLICATION WHATSOEVER, it exists.  Fine then, you can have your normal-sized non horrific disaster inducing guns but it's going to take a lot longer to get them and it's going to cost you.  Mandatory three-month waiting periods (because who URGENTLY needs a gun?), mental health checks, a unified national background and registry system, and NO EXCEPTIONS, all paid for by the individual who feels they "need" a gun.  Then, when you own it, you are required by law to keep it in a locked gun box.  And no wandering around anywhere with a concealed weapon.  Take that NRA.  We're not taking "reasonable" (their words, NOT MINE) gun rights away, we're just protecting, streamlining, and ensuring the integrity of gun ownership.  Hey, that sounds pretty good.  Somebody write that down.

Now for the last challenge.  This one isn't about laws or restrictions.  It's about the societal shift that must take place where people stop believing that they can only feel safe if they have a gun and that "gunning up" - giving more people guns to offset the crazies who have guns - leads to the exact opposite of what you want.  Every other developed country ON EARTH has stricter gun laws that take control of the gun ownership process but they also have a deep-seeded cultural belief that guns make things more deadly and less safe, with all evidence supporting this "off the wall" theory.

So where do we begin?  By starting to talk about how guns don't make you safer.  By deciding that we'd rather the people best "armed" are those who protect and preserve and even if every Tom, Dick, and Harry has - thanks to the second amendment - the "right" to own a gun they can only get one once we as a society have decided that they have waited long enough, are mentally sound, and committed financially to the process.

Come on Mr. President.  Lets take the lead on this one.  We're with you.

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Kyle Taylor

Brilliant look at how much government does for us!

I don't know WHERE this came from so I can't credit it (sent to me in the body of an email) but it's just brilliant. An amazing way to look at how important the government is to just the first 10 minutes of our day. Pass along!

"This morning I was awoken by my alarm clock powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the US Department of Energy. I then took a shower in the clean water provided by the municipal water supply. After that, I turned the TV to one of the FCC regulated channels to see what the National Weather Service of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration determined what the weather was going to be like using satellites designed, built, and launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I watched this while eating my breakfast of US Department of Agriculture inspected food and taking drugs which have been determined as safe by the Food and Drug Administration.

At the appropriate time as regulated by the US Congress and kept accurate by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the US Naval Observatory, I get into my National Highway Traffic Safety Administration approved automobile and set out to work on the roads built by local, state, and federal Departments of Transportation, possibly stopping to purchase additional fuel of a quality level determined by the Environmental Protection agency, using legal tender issued by the Federal Reserve Bank. On the way out the door I deposit any mail I have to be sent out via the US Postal Service and drop the kids off at the public school.

After work, I drive my NHTSA car back home on the DOT roads, to a house which has not burned down in my absence because of the state and local building codes and Fire Marshal inspection, and which has not been plundered of all its valuables thanks to the local police department.

I then log onto the internet which was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration and post on freerepublic.com and Fox News forums about how SOCIALISM in medicine is BAD because the Government can't do anything right."

Enough Is Enough: Homophobia Needs To Go

Here we are again. Another day and another gay teen who has taken his own life because of hatred, fear, and homophobia. 19-year-old Ohio resident Zach Harrington committed suicide on October 10th after attending a City Coucil meeting where members of both the council and the public spent a majority of the meeting shouting anti-gay epitaphs for numerous "reasons." What did Zach do to deserve that hatred accept be himself? He was bullied and victimized most of his childhood for being gay and he took everything to heart, hearing every criticism of LGBT people as a personal attack on his character and his identity. It was.

Now, as a result of that hatred, he is dead. His sister has lost her brother. His father has lost his son. His mother has lost her baby boy. This has become a national epidemic and it's time we as a community - gay, bisexual, and straight - say enough is enough. Some say this has been happening for years and it is only just now getting "real attention," which means it's nothing new and therefore not a real event. To me, that just makes the whole situation worse. You're saying this has been going on for years at the same intensity and we're only now just paying attention to it? Where were we as community members? Where were we as fellow Americans? Where were we as human beings?

Regardless of how you feel about homosexuality, every person deserves to be protected from systematic hatred. Did you know that the GLBT community does not have legal protection under the law from hate crimes? It's not just marriage; it's employment, it's housing, and it's crimes driven by hatred based on nothing more than a person's sexual orientation. Now, this hate is killing our young people and it seems to be turning into a daily occurrence. Enough is enough.

I haven't lived in the USA full-time for several years now, and I've had the incredible opportunity to see my own nation and my own identity from the outside. There isn't a day that goes by when I'm not proud of my heritage in some way. In the last few years, however, I've felt almost lucky that I don't have to endure the day-to-day struggles of the GLBT community. Lately, I've been wondering why, in a nation built by a group of people who came over on a boat because they were being oppressed, in a nation that seems to repeat this cycle of oppression and equalization with women, African Americans, and a number other groups, in a nation that spends vast resources bringing freedom, democracy, and "our way of life" to the world, we continue to remain silent when the most vulnerable among us need us most. Enough is enough.

Imagine Zach was your brother, your son, or your grandson. Imagine you've spent your whole life watching him grow up, discover himself, and become an adult. Now imagine that your fellow citizens - neighbors, friends, and even sometimes relatives - are bullying him. Imagine they're shouting messages of hate and telling your flesh and blood that they're not okay and that they don't deserve the same rights you have. Now imagine that this hatred, anger, and unbearable pressure drive him to take his own life. What would you do?

There is a Zach in each and every one of our lives and it's now our responsibility to make sure he grows up to enjoy the same opportunities, beauties, and wonders this incredible world has to offer. We must take a stand before another Zach out there believes that their life isn't worth living. Make no mistake, this is urgent. Do something now:

1. Call your congressperson and tell him or her to support equal rights for EVERY American.
2. Support the Trevor Project and give resources to troubled gay teens.
3. Find a local advocacy campaign and ACT.

These last few weeks have made me think a lot about my closest friends and my own life. So many of us have struggled to be who we are for fear of "what might happen." I could have been Zach. Many of my friends could have been Zach. Today, for the first time in a long time, I do wish I was home. So that I could march. I could campaign. I could show other LGBT teens that they're not alone and America doesn't hate them.

The time for action is now.

Enough is enough.

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Kyle Taylor
www.kyletaylor.com

The Devastation Of Poverty In America.

This graph shows poverty rates of rich countries. Mind you, in absolute terms the USA is BY FAR the wealthiest nation on Earth.


I subscribe to a regular email news update that brings light to major issues facing the United States that don't seem to get covered anywhere else. The analysis is fantastic and the depth of research is unmatched. Their assessment of poverty in America was shocking, and I thought everyone should read it:

Intolerable Poverty In A Rich Nation

Last week, the U.S. Census Bureau released its Current Population Survey, documenting the American population's access to health insurance and family economic well-being. One stunning fact revealed by the new Census data was that "the ranks of the American poor soared to their highest level in a half a century" and that nearly "44 million Americans -- one in seven -- lived last year in homes in which the income was below the poverty level, which is about $22,000 for a family of four. While this is the largest number of people since the Census began tracking poverty 51 years ago," this figure would have been much larger without the economic policies pursued by Congress and the administration. The data is sobering to a national discourse that often omits the poor. Yet, it also points towards continued action to bring the unemployment rate down and boost demand. The country must continue successful policy initiatives that have kept millions out of poverty thus far, such as the Recovery Act, and pursue additional policies aimed at addressing the alarming fact that the world's richest country now has more people in poverty than ever before.

THE SHAME OF A NATION: The Census Bureau data finds that a shocking number of Americans are now officially classified as living in poverty. In 2009, roughly "4 million Americans fell into poverty," with a total of 43.6 million people meeting the income qualifications to be described as impoverished. The data also found that one in four African-Americans is in poverty, and that women are also particularly hurting. An analysis by the National Women's Law Center of the Census numbers found that the poverty rate for women rose to 13.9 percent last year, compared to 10.5 percent among men. Additionally, poverty rates "were substantially higher for women of color, approaching one in four among African-American women (24.6 percent compared to 23.3 percent in 2008); Hispanic women experienced a similar increase from 22.3 percent in 2008 to 23.8 percent last year." Geographically, southern and rural states tended to have the most poverty, with Mississippi faring the worst with 23.1 percent of people in poverty, with New Hampshire having only 7.8 percent.

GOOD POLICIES KEEPING PEOPLE AFLOAT: While the poverty numbers are shamefully high given the wealth of a rich nation like the United States, a number of progressive policies have served to keep millions more Americans from falling into poverty. After being passed in early 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) -- commonly referred to as the stimulus -- saved or created 1.4 million to 3.3 million jobs, according to analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. Additionally, the expansion of tax credits like the Child Tax Credit (CTC), Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and Making Work Pay tax credit, along with additional food stamp assistance and emergency unemployment compensation kept more than 6 million Americans out of poverty, according to data provided by the Census Bureau. Expanding and extending unemployment insurance -- which faced enormous opposition from conservative pundits and politicians -- alone kept 3.3 million Americans out of poverty.

MORE TO DO: As the Center for American Progress's Melissa Boteach writes, "We can't exactly pat ourselves on the back when more than one in five (20.7 percent) of America's children lived in poverty last year." Instead, we should expand and extend policies that have served to keep Americans out of poverty and reassert ourselves to combating rising income inequality. America's earlier efforts to tackle poverty, like President Lyndon Johnson's "War On Poverty" -- included job training, special aid to poor parts of the country, and the creation of the single payer health care system for the elderly, Medicare, that brought the poverty rate down from 19 percent to 11.1 percent within less than a decade. In just two weeks, "a job-creation engine known as the TANF Emergency Fund will expire, forcing states to begin shutting down successful partnerships with the private sector that have already created nearly a quarter million jobs for low-income families. Congress must act before September 30 to extend the TANF Emergency Fund for another year and allow this innovative jobs program to continue." Congress also must continue reforms it made to the EITC that allowed "families with three or more children to earn a larger credit to reflect the higher cost of raising an additional child" and to the CTC that allowed low-income working parents "to count most of their earnings toward calculating their credit instead of arbitrarily counting only earnings above $8,500." Doing so would of course cost the federal government money, but extending these tax credits would do much more to boost the economy than extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, which would have little stimulative effect on the economy. Additionally, Congress should continue to extent unemployment benefits until the unemployment rate comes back down to normal levels. While the Census numbers show an alarming rise in poverty, "it's important to remember, however, that poverty was a problem even before the Great Recession. Between 2003 and 2007 we experienced the first-ever economic 'recovery' on record where productivity and profits grew but poverty went up and median incomes fell. The middle class and low-income families did not benefit form the gains accrued over the last decade, which was due to the failed economic policies of the Bush administration and the focus on tax cuts for the wealthy that did not lead to growth in investment." Only by rebuking failed right-wing policies and championing policies that expand the social safety net, strengthen labor rights, build a more humane and efficient health care system, reward hard work with living wages, and value society's most vulnerable members, children, can the U.S. rebuild the American Dream, the idea that this a country where all can prosper, not just a select few.

WHEN ARE WE GOING TO WAKE UP TO THIS TRAGEDY?

Graph from here: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/salas.356/files/poverty_rates_of_rich_countries.bmp
Text from here: http://thinkprogress.org/

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Kyle Taylor
www.kyletaylor.com

Third-World America?

How you seen these stats? 1 in 7 Americans is living in poverty. A nation that controls $14 trillion in wealth has somehow allowed nearly 15 percent of its citizens to slide into complete and utter devastation. What's the solution, according to Republicans and Democrats? Lower taxes! Despite the fact that income tax is lower than it has ever been in the history of the United States and was lowered further for 95% of Americans under both Republicans and Democrats, things continue to get worse. The reality is that America's income gap has simply widened too far. In fact, the USA has an income gap on par with Cambodia and Senegal. WHAT? How is this okay? Stable societies, healthy societies, and developed societies take care of every citizen - something we most certainly are not doing. Read more about it here and please think about what's going on right now. We're all better off if every American has a decent life.

Picture from here: http://images.publicradio.org/content/2008/11/21/20081121_help_33.jpg
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Kyle Taylor

Please Don't Buy Koch!

Those who know me are fully aware of my belief system. It stems from basic principles like equality, sustainability, and a "fair go" for every person on the planet. Over the past two years a major way of bigotry, hatred, and evil has swept across the good old US of A. While there are many people and corporations to blame, it seems that few have played a more central role that the Koch brothers. Owners of Koch industries, David and Charles have been intricately involved in - and the primary financial supporters of - The Tea Party movement, the birther movement (claiming Barack Obama is not a US citizen), the relaxing of regulations on big oil (which led to the BP disaster), the climate change skeptics movement, and the homophobic, hateful, anti-American, anti-equality Prop 8 campaign in California.

The Koch brothers fund all of these initiatives (some estimates have been put at $1 billion) thanks to their privately held company that owns a number of brands that we all use every day. One way to say "no" to this evil and hatred is to stop buying their brands, which is what I'm asking of you right now. There is no room for this type of irrational, hopeless, one-sided, wealth-based dialogue that ignores the many in favor of the powerful few. Here are there most famous brands, and here is a link to the rest of them.

StainMaster
Brawny
Quilted Northern
Sparkle
Angel Soft
Vanity Fair
Dixie
Mardi Gras
CoolMax
Lycra

There are alternatives, and through your purchasing power you can send a message that hatred, lies, and innuendo are not okay.

More on the Koch brothers:

A Huffington Post Article
A Current TV piece

Image from: http://usedbooksblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/dr-evil.JPG

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Kyle Taylor

All Talk, No Walk

One last-minute tidbit that has to be shared. Looks like Michael Steele, who was lecturing America last week about ethical economic stimulus and the "all new Republican party," is actually a crook as well. Of course, we'll see if the allegations pan out but until then, I'm just going to say the F-word. FELONY.

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Kyle Taylor

Weekend News Roundup

Unfortunately I've been buried under school work this past week, but I wanted to give a quick news round-up as to the most fascinating, depressing and ironically humorous stories filling the air waves.

1. Lets start with funny. Mitt Romney wrote a commentary piece for CNN this week in which he suggests that we should "stimulate the economy, not the government" by re-focusing the economic stimulus plan on boosting business and consumption. Okay, I don't think you need to be a political mastermind to realize Mitt's living in a fairy-tale (in fact, even basic math, like addition and subtraction are working against him). If I remember correctly, it was greedy business practices and over-consumption by consumers that led to the current meltdown and now - wait for it - Mitt wants to give more money to businesses and consumers? One, fixing infrastructure, modernizing schools and investing in green energy IS good for the economy and two, even if the government were to give more money to consumers, they wouldn't be spending it! All the research done on Bush's last "stimulus" checks show that Americans were saving, not buying (which, ironically, is the correct thing to do, though works against Romney's "plan"). Sorry Mitt, as story number two will shown, this whole "invisible hand" garbage isn't working because people are cheating. You know, the same people you want to give more money to.

2. Now for depressing. One in ten Americans is on food stamps. That's right, 10% of the United States - roughly 31 million people - are on a federal food assistance program because they can't afford to eat. Is this the American dream? Is this where unrestricted, "free market capitalism" gets us? We've got more wealth than anywhere on the planet and we can't pay people enough to afford food? Is this really the America we want? I'm all about capitalism to fuel innovation, ideas and growth, but not if everyone doesn't get a fair shot and playing the game. So Mitt, sit down and cork it. Congressional Republicans and Rush Limbaugh, you might want to do the same. Unfortunately, the numbers are against you, and numbers don't lie (unless you're a banker, apparently)

3. Now for ironic. The artist who drew the now infamous "Hope" image of Barack Obama has been ARRESTED and charged with copyright infringement by the Associated Press for "stealing the image." So what do we have here? The Associated Press wants to make a ton of money on the image that is supposed to symbolize a new, different America and they're going to bring down a graffiti artist who - through his art - energized a generation. Tidbit to the Associate Press - drop it, you look like a bunch of greedy, money-grubbing schmucks, regardless of whether you're right or wrong.

So that's the weekend round-up! More soon on discrimination, paying your taxes (or not paying them, if you're a Democrat nominated for a cabinet position) and the Oscars.

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Kyle Taylor

Old Habits Don't Die

The notion of "why can't we all just get along?" is wonderful. Beautiful. Perfect. But it's not realistic. I'm probably going to be labeled a cynic for writing this, but it's time we get real. Democrats and Republicans aren't going to agree on everything. Not only is that ok, I would argue it's preferable. Mind you, this notion is applicable to any country in which multiple parties exist - Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem, Christian Dem and Social Dem, etc.

Barack Obama promised a new era of bipartisan collaboration that "puts politics aside to do the American people's business." He went on to say:

"I hope I've communicated a sincere desire to get good ideas from everybody. And my attitude is that this is the first major piece of legislation we've been working on the Hill, and over time some of these habits of consultation and mutual respect will take over. But, you know, old habits die hard."

Here are the problems with this:

1. President Obama is being just as political as the Republicans by preparing a piece of legislation that is inherently Democratic in nature then using it to suggest Republicans should be "less political." He's basically saying, "look, this is the right way and if you don't agree then you're making it political." Granted, I'm fine with it because I believe in Democratic ideals and think tax cuts have proven over the past 8 years to be the most ineffective way on the planet to spur economic growth, favoring the wealthy who don't reinvest and create jobs but instead buy private planes and 11 houses. Yes, that was a dig on McCain.

2. These aren't "habits" we're talking about, they're World views, value sets and political philosophies. They're rooted in a lifetime of considering domestic, social, moral and international issues then deciding how to best solve those issues. Again, I'm completely biased here and for the most part, agree with the Democratic framework on this, so I'm very very pleased with the direction we're moving in. Couple that with the complete failure of the last eight years and you wonder how anyone could still believe in the Republican philosophy (though some would argue it really wasn't Republican). Nevertheless, people do, and it is all but impossible to get half of a country to adopt an entirely new World view over night simply because one man says it's the right thing to do. Society has never and will never work that way. These value sets are shaped over generations, passed down from parent to child again and again and again. Granted, that doesn't mean they're right (that is, I do believe there are absolute truths - equality for all, liberty, freedom, etc.), but they simply are, and they have been for a really long time. Bottom line, the expectation that we'll all agree is fundamentally impossible to attain.

3. Despite everything, 58 MILLION people still voted for John McCain. That means 46% of all voters, with all the facts in, still thought John McCain's course of action was better. The US is trapped in a two-party system that makes every issue black or white, left or right, agree or disagree. To change that would be to change our entire political culture. Yes, President Obama has suggested he is the man to do it, but he is still a Democrat who holds Democratic principles and who will [hopefully] never be a Republican, and that's FINE, just as it's fine for Republicans to feel completely the opposite (though I would argue they're wrong using a great deal of quantitative and qualitative research that proves, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Republican economic, social and international policies are rarely - if ever - successful).

In discussing the economic stimulus he said:

“We're not going to get 100 percent agreement, and we might not even get 50 percent agreement, but I do think people appreciate me walking them through my thought process on this."

Even if we get 0% Republicans, that's fine, and at some level, should be expected. If you're coming at problems from entirely different places, shouldn't we simply acknowledge that we're not going to agree? Look, Bush had 8 years to prove his philosophy and we all watched at is failed miserably. Now Obama has [hopefully] 8 years to prove that a Democratic philosophy works better (the same way FDR, LBJ and Clinton did some 60, 40 and 10 years ago). If we do it, hopefully people will realize that and continue on the same trajectory. If not, we'll head right back into the Republican doldrums, as happened after FDR, LBJ and Clinton. It seems to be entirely cyclical - Republicans crash and burn an entire nation and let Conservative values hold us back, a Democrat sweeps in and makes a great deal of progress, Republicans come back in and keep us there for a solid 20 years or more, Democrat sweeps in and edges us forward again. My only hope is that this time, we don't fall back into a Republican doldrum.

So then, my advice to President Obama - keep consulting and explaining to Republicans why what you want to do is the best idea a) because it's the right thing to do b) because it looks great to the American people. Then, after you've consulted your heart out, just do what's right. That's why the other 66 million of us voted for you.

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Kyle Taylor

Photo From: http://www.bestofbarack.com/images/barack-obama-custom-sneakers-1.jpg

What, Exactly Are We Stimulating?

It's only day 3 and already the "come on, lets all be friends in the name of America" attitude is slowly rolling down a long, steep hill. While I don't think that's a bad thing (more on this in a later entry) I do think it's important to start paying very close attention to this Economic Stimulus Plan. Why? Because Congress has acknowledged they've only read 40% of it and it's being driven by statements like "we're going to create 4 million jobs by next Wednesday" and "these banks need saving."

Whatever happened to people in this whole process? We're bailing out banks, supporting institutions, ensuring the stability of our financial sector, etc. etc. etc. Furthermore, Bernie Madoff, who stole roughly $50 billion doesn't go to jail - he gets house arrest. I mean, what message is that sending? "Wow, you stole lots of money. Shame on you. Now sit in this luxury apartment, eat fancy food, watch TV and think about what you've done!"

Meanwhile, less than 30% of Americans even invest in the stock market and a majority of 35-55 year olds say they're actually experiencing a "negative savings rate," which is a nice way of saying they're losing money. Meanwhile, we're giving banks money?

I'm all for stability but I think it's crucial that economic stimulus focus on meeting people's basic needs, and because every bit of rhetoric thus far has focused on pretty buzz words, I can't tell you (and apparently Congress can't tell you either) what exactly we're going to be stimulating. In all, total spending will pass $1.5 TRILLION. I can't even fathom that much money. Mind you, it was apparently excessive spending that got us to this point in the first place. Heck, as long as we can just print more money we may as well, right?

Bottom line, pay attention and hold people accountable. If I remember correctly, it was Ben Bernanke's press secretary who, when asked how they picked the $700 billion amount for the bailout said: "we wanted a really big number. You know, so it really seemed good." No irony. No sarcasm. No sense.

Note: The image came from here and was the first thing that showed up when I did a google search for "stimulus."

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Kyle Taylor

Because You Have To Complain About Something...

Just when you think dialogue might actually be maturing, evolving and changing, a story like this turns up to slap some sense right back into you.

Apparently Christians are now upset because President Obama referred to an America inclusive of "non-believers." Um, I'm sorry, what?!?! Backed by numerous Christian leaders, these individuals go on to explain that America is a "Christian Nation" and that Obama is now attacking "American values." Funny, I thought American values involved separation of church and state, freedom of religion, liberty and justice for all and something about equal rights. I must have been mistaken.

Believe it or not Protestants, you only represent 50% of the country, which means there's that "other half" who have somehow managed to live all these years celebrating a different religion or no religion at all. It continues to shock me that in the same year we saw real change by electing our first minority president people are still finding ways to ensure "majority rule" by pushing their dominant faith, dominant sexual orientation and dominant gender perspectives on the rest of the nation (and often, the rest of the World).

The only thing we all have in common is that each of us is marginalized in some way. Rather than attempt to rank which minority status is "worse off" or "destroying the fiber of America," why not look at these other individuals who aren't just like you and think, "hey, I'm x and I know what it's like to feel lesser than everyone else. He or she is y, which is different than x, but still makes them a minority. That must feel very similar. I'll empathize with them and be supportive."

Now, is that really so difficult? Barack Obama was elected because of his promise to re-unite America and remind us that "We Are One." He is every American's President regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age or political affiliation. Similary, The United States is every American's country regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age or political affiliation. We constantly go on about how that makes us "better than the rest" so lets start living these values, people. Come on!

The article, in case the link doesn't work: http://news.aol.com/article/obamas-nonbeliever-nod-unsettles-some/316339?icid=200100397x1217174047x1201143706

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Kyle Taylor

Shout out to my Mom for sending that article along and getting equally enraged.

Madame Secretary

How sweet does that sound? For anyone who managed to see her confirmation hearing yesterday, you were probably aware of two major themes:

1. It was a love-fest all around. Democrats were lovin' on her nad even Republican's were lovin' on her. At one point Dick Luger, the senior Republican, called her "the epitome of a big-leaguer." Yes please.

2. She was SO PREPARED. Word on the street is that she has spent the last two weeks researching, studying and reading every brief the State Department produced. She also met with every member of the Foreign Relations Committee IN PERSON.

While I'm not going to get into too much detail, all I'll say is that it was 6 hours of real intelligent people talking about really important issues in really nuanced ways. Elite? I think not. Just bright. Now that's who I want at the helm of Diplomacy! My two favorite quotes:

"I am proud to be an American at the dawning of this new American moment."

“Foreign policy must be based on a marriage of principles and pragmatism, not rigid ideology, on facts and evidence, not emotion or prejudice."

Now, tell me again why having intelligent people in charge is bad?

This is an article talking more about her prep work.

Here is one on "Hillary Clinton Reimagined."

Here's a video recap of the hearing.

Okay, en route to DC for the Inauguration!

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Kyle Taylor

Photo of Hillary from the Washington Post Article

An Attack On Intellectualism

It's a frightening day when you realize that being intelligent and valuing an education has become a negative in the United States. It all began with Sarah Palin - 5 schools before a college degree and no postgraduate work, but if you said a word about it you were being "elitist" and "cruel," as if that was no to decide whether or not a person should be entrusted with the fate of the free world. I agree that it's not the only criteria, but what, exactly, is wrong with getting an education?

Now, once again, she's back on her high horse saying reporters "mistreated" her during the campaign. Recent quotes include such zingers as "The mama grizzly rises up in me, hearing things like that," whilst referring to recent criticism of her teenage daughter's pregnancy and subsequent marriage. While her kids are not necessary up for discussion, she is, and so should her intelligence. Now the media are elite for asking hard questions, Obama was elite for going to Harvard and the country is just full of "liberal elites." Replace elite with intelligent and you've got "the media are intelligent for asking hard questions, Obama was intelligent for going to Harvard and the country is just full of "liberal intelligent people." How terrible!

It's an attack on intellectualism, and it isn't the first time this has happened. Look back to Pol Pot's Cambodia, just to name one. Things are going downhill, those in need are vulnerable and all of a sudden it's time to blame educated people who are "distant" and "don't understand" because they're just so educated and "high and mighty," rather than think "hey, why don't I try and get an education as well, so I can be intelligent, make educated decisions and create a better future for myself and those around me?"

It hasn't come to the surface just yet, but it's a bubbling and I'm scared for all of us. Yes, there are problems with access to education, and that's something that needs serious attention. Still, that doesn't mean the best thing to do is attack anyone who does have one. Meanwhile, it seems to be increasingly cool to plead ignorance and want a leader who does the same. Now that is frightening.

Part two emerged just today, with "Joe The Plumber" reporting live from Israel on the current escalation of violence. He offered such telling insights as "when someone hits me, I'm going to unload on the boy." When discussing the situation for Israeli's in southern Israel he said “I’m sure they’re taking quick showers, I know I would. So you can’t plan your day, you can’t take a picnic.“ Mortars are being launched and he's talking about planning a picnic?

Hundreds of people are dead and at the root of it is a conflict that is hundreds of years old, of which Joe has no knowledge, but you can't say anything about that because then you're being elite (read: intelligent). Well I'm over that. Let's get a few things straight. Joe the Plumber has no idea what's happening in the Middle East and should not be given a platform by the likes of even CNN, who are reporting on his reporting, which is in and of itself a major problem.

It's alright that people are experts in subjects then use that expertise to explain a situation or do something about it. Rather than get irritated, maybe just try and learn something from them. What's more, why doesn't the media get back to doing it's job - reporting real news. By telling stories like this they're legitimizing this attack on education. What else did Joe have to say? Oh, just that the media have no business reporting war. Why, you ask? Because it makes "the war" unpopular and then it's harder to fight it. And where did he make this statement? While reporting on war!

I can only hope there isn't some broader agreement on this absurd notion. While I in no way believe the mass media have done a good job of reporting conflict these past 8 years, I can't even imagine where we might be had all of this been simply happening with no watchful eye. What about Abu Ghraib? Guantanamo Bay? The list goes on and on. Still, there it is once again - advocating for ignorance. For staying in the dark and not seeking anything beyond your own immediate World. Does that really sound ideal to you?

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

--

Kyle Taylor

Equality For All? Not Today

This photo shows suporters of "Yes on 8" cheering and whooping upon learning that Proposition 8, a Constitutional Amendment in the state of California to ban equal rights in the form of marriage, was most-likely going to pass. The leader of the campaign was quoted as saying "Tonight, we won!"

November 4th started out as an amazing evening for me. It was 4am in the Student Union at LSE and I was surrounded by thousands of people from every country on earth, most of them hoping Obama would be victorious. All of a sudden CNN's fancy "Breaking News" graphic flashed across the screen and Obama was declared the President-Elect. The room went crazy! Jumping, screaming, crying! I was in shock and disbelief! Never in my adult life had I been a supporter of the President. How did this work? What did we do now that it was time to set the agenda and get the country back on track? What is it like to NOT be cynical? McCain spoke and was gracious. Obama spoke and was hopeful. It was amazing!

At 6am I walked down the Strand through Trafalgar Square absolutely beaming. I wanted to be there in the mix of it! It was time to take back America. This would be a new frontier and I wanted to be right in the middle of it. I got back to my room and went online to check results of other issues that mattered, only to learn that Yes on 8 was winning. A quick phone called to a friend in California was reassuring - "Don't worry yet, LA and San Fran have yet to report in." I went to bed optimistic.

Three hours later I woke up to my worst nightmare - Yes on 8 had won 52% to 48%. I was officially a second-tier citizen no longer afforded equal rights under the law. Depression began to sink in and for the first time in my adult life, I was made to feel genuinely "different" than the majority - less of a person. Here are a few excerpts of what the "Yes on 8" Discriminators had to say:

"Now, if they want to legalize gay marriage, what they should do is bring an initiative themselves and ask the people to approve it. But they don't. They go behind the people's back to the courts and try and force an agenda on the rest of society...And I think we made them realize that there are broader implications to society and particularly the children when you make that fundamental change that's at the core of how society is organized, which is marriage."

And what might that core of marriage be, exactly? That 50% of them end in divorce? And whose backs were we going behind when we used the 200+ year old legal system to preserve equal rights for all citizens? What might these broader implications be on the rest of society, and particularly children? Fewer loving homes to grow up in? A fundamental understanding of tolerance, acceptance and "liberty for all?"

At the core of there argument was this concept of morality, yet the way "Yes on 8" won was by spreading blatant lies. The first was that churches would lose their non-profit status if they refused to marry same-sex couples. The second was that teachers would be "forced" to tell children gay couples were normal. Also not true, but if it was, so what? Exit polling data showed that these were the top two reasons people voted Yes, and both of them were untrue. How dare they ramble on about "morality" and "character."

What's even more disturbing is that in the same election, 62% of Californians voted in favor of legislation that would require farmers to let caged animals run free for a certain amount of time every day (legislation I too supported). Mind you, these are animals that most of these people are going to eat eventually. In that same breath, 54% of them voted to eliminate equal rights for all human beings. That effectively means that people think farm animals that they are going to eat deserve the freedom to run around while their fellow human beings do not deserve equal rights. How, exactly, is that supposed to make gay Californians feel? It's clear where we stand, and it's apparently below prime rib.

I'm 24. I've worked hard my entire life in school, sports and work. I was a finalist for a Rhode's Scholarship and am currently serving as an US Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in the United Kingdom. I've dedicated my working life to helping young people reach their full potential, traveling to 46 US States and 44 countries around the World to spread that message. I've never done drugs and I've never cheated on a partner. I've always strived to be a categorically "good" person.

The gay community as a whole has done all it can to prove itself as well. We represent more economic spending per capita then any other group in the United States, which is crucial to the economic recovery happening right now. We donate to charity in greater numbers. We're just as committed in relationships as everyone else. We give homes to children who need them by adopting from across the US and around the World. We're educated, generous, caring and have backed every major minority group in history in their historic fights for equal rights and yet now we sit here, on the eve of the first African-American being elected President of the United States - seemingly a huge step forward - as the most recent minority population to be subjected to blatant discrimination by a more powerful (and more numerous) majority, not to mention 54% of African-American voters and nearly 60% of Hispanic voters who voted "Yes on 8." What more do we have to do?

For the first time in history, blatant discrimination has been enshrined in a Constitution - a body that was meant to guarantee basic rights, not strip them away. So then, what, exactly, was the Yes on 8 supporter referring to when he said, "we won?" The right to oppress a minority group? The right to legally discriminate? Please tell me.

So yes, lets celebrate the major step forward that we took as a people on Tuesday night by electing an African-American to our nation's highest office, but remember what Obama said: He can't bring change by himself. It's going to take each and every once of, chugging along little by little, to truly shift the direction of America. All I can hope is that the direction involves equal rights for every American. As he also said, "If there is anyone who still doubts America is a place where all things are possible...tonight is your answer."

Sadly, for me, Tuesday night was the first time in my life that I actually had doubts.

--

Kyle Taylor

Photo from the LA Times

Al Franken Is Awesome

So I received this email from Al Franken today. Naturally, there was a photo of a puppy included, so imagine that additional dimension. Isn't this hilarious?

Dear Friend,

Over the past 22 months, I've sent you a lot of emails. And I've tried to encourage you to support our campaign for change with a variety of tactics: kitschy holiday-themed gimmicks, fancy thermometer graphics, and my personal favorite, being pretty shameless about just coming out and asking for your help.

(Which reminds me: PLEASE SUPPORT OUR CAMPAIGN WITH ONE LAST CONTRIBUTION BY CLICKING HERE!)

But this is the last fundraising email I'll send you before Election Day. So I'm holding nothing back. That's right, I'm going to use....AN ADORABLE PUPPY!

That's Carl the Victory Pup. And he's asking you to make one last contribution to our campaign for change. Whether it's $100, $50, $25, or whatever you can afford, every last dollar you contribute today goes immediately into the field to help us pull this thing off tomorrow.

So, please. CLICK HERE TO MAKE ONE LAST CONTRIBUTION TODAY.

Do it for our country. Do it for change.

Do it for Carl.

Thanks for all you've done to build this campaign. Now let's go win it.

Yours truly,

Al

Political Food For Thought

I'm off for the weekend on a Scholarship Shindig, but here's some food for thought. This was forwarded to me by some who is almost as big a political junkie as me:

I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight....

* If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're "exotic, different."

* Grow up in Alaska eating moose burgers, a quintessential American story.

* If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.

* Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.

* Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.

* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well rounded.

* If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services Committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works, and Veteran's Affairs Committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.


* If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.


* If you teach responsible, age-appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.


* If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible.


* If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's.


* If you're husband is nicknamed "First Dude", with at least one DUI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25, and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.


OK, it's much clearer now...

--

Kyle Taylor

One More Reason...

So I donated to the Obama campaign again today (only $10, but it's what I could give) in their "give a gift to inspire someone else to give" matching program. Not only are our donations matched, but so are we! They connect us by name, email, whatever info we want to give. Here is the email my "match" sent to me:

"Thank you for believing in change the way me and my family do and for matching my small contribution. As someone who's spouse has served in Iraq and will do so again, having you support a candidate who wants to end the nonsense and do the right thing means more than you will ever know. Thanks again."

Now THAT is what Obama is about, and that's what this election is about. Inspiring every American to believe in the power they have to create change, and that they're not alone. We're all in this together. That's one more check in the Obama box.

--

Kyle Taylor

Sidebar – Why Republican Arguments Work

1. It plays on the heart, not the mind.
2. It insinuates without directly stating.
3. It uses the same language again and again.
4. It reaches people in multiple mediums.
5. It is never cynical or snarky, so as not to sound elitist.
6. It lacks details; the simpler the argument, the easier it is to understand and the harder it is to challenge.
7. It always plays victim to some broader opposition “conspiracy.” (Ie. the “liberal media.”)
8. It always has the perfect name, even if that name has no relations to the actual content of said argument.
9. It is not necessarily true.
10. It always toes the party line.

Sidebar – Why Republican Arguments Work

1. It plays on the heart, not the mind.
2. It insinuates without directly stating.
3. It uses the same language again and again.
4. It reaches people in multiple mediums.
5. It is never cynical or snarky, so as not to sound elitist.
6. It lacks details; the simpler the argument, the easier it is to understand and the harder it is to challenge.
7. It always plays victim to some broader opposition “conspiracy.” (Ie. the “liberal media.”)
8. It always has the perfect name, even if that name has no relations to the actual content of said argument.
9. It is not necessarily true.
10. It always toes the party line.

I'm Closing Up Loose Ends!

Just hectically getting ready to depart. Updates and thoughts soon!

Food for thought: JOINT TICKET.

There is no other way...

--

Kyle Taylor