As you all know, Keith Bardwell is still smarting for being called a racist for refusing to marry an interracial couple. He strenuously denied that he was racist, saying the fact he lets negroes use the bathroom in his house is proof positive of his open heart. And so he also refuses to step down, even after being called to do so by Governor Bobby Jindal and Sen. Mary Landrieu. Notably, Republican Senator David Vitter apparently didn't release a statement to USA Today.
Keith Bardwell's comments to reporters follows calls for his ouster by Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal and Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu.
"Everybody hates me," he tells reporters. "Really. I don't know why. I treat people, I figure, equal. I have one problem with mixed marriages and that is the offspring."
Asked if he is "racist," Bardwell replies: "Absolutely not.
"My definition of a racist is to hate black people, or treat black people different that anybody else," he says.
Perhaps he has a different dictionary than we do.
Moving right along to another case of denial, this time anti-Semitism, we feature famed Irish tenor Ronan Tynan, who is well-known for singing at Yankee games. He seems to have a very narrow view about what kind of "Jew humor"&l t;/a> isn't offensive.
Tynan, famous for belting out "God Bless America" at Yankee games, ran into a friend of his, a real estate broker, while he was showing apartments in his building to a pediatrician named Gabrielle Gold-von Simson.
"Don't worry, they are not Red Sox fans," the broker reportedly said. "I don't care about that, as long as they are not Jewish," Tynan replied.
That line might - might - have been funny if delivered as schtick by the likes of Jackie Mason, Mel Brooks or Larry David. But Dr. Gold-von Simson, distinctly unamused, complained to her broker and reported the exchange to WNBC-TV.
The Yankees cancelled Tynan's scheduled Friday appearance at the American League playoffs.
"I'm not anti-Semitic and I have never been in my life," Tynan protested, calling the incident "something misfortunate, I was too stupid with my mouth."
Hmm. You mean the signals from his brain got scrambled on the way to his KKK tongue and mouth? How come that doesn't happen when he goes to sing "God Bless America"? He apologized, btw, and it was accepted by Dr. Gold-von Simson.
I guess we can put these two on the shelf with the teabagger who said he can't be racist because he helped out black Boy Scouts once or because they gave mouth-to-mouth to a black NBA player 20 years ago.
Saturday was a heady day of canvassing, phone banking and rallying in Washington state to Approve Referendum 71!
Vancouver Doorbelling - Organizer Rory Bowman reports:
Coming off of the high of pro-71 editorials in both The Columbian and The Oregonian this week, ten folks showed up, put on ACLU t-shirts and stayed out through absolutely drenching rains to deliver about 1500 door hangers in west Vancouver, in the densest and most liberal part of the city.More fliers will be distributed at senior communities, mobile home parks and in different neighborhoods.Included in this were some allies from the "no on 1033" campaign and a few folks who crossed the river to lend a hand. Within the first two hours I was soaked through all my clothes, but plastic bags kept the door hangers dry and we had a lot of support from people in the neighborhoods.
The excitement of folks to step up and take part in this important measure was palpable. Our next goal is to try and raise $20,000 for televistelevision ads at http://www.actblue.com/page/approve71vancouver
Tacoma Canvass - About 20 canvassers hit the soggy streets of Tacoma Saturday and knocked on the doors of almost 500 homes. Organizer Ryan Mello reports:
Volunteers had a real good time, thought they connected with lots of voters and humanized the need for domestic partnerships so that it wasn't just an intellectual issue or just another political issue. They really felt like they put a face to our families for hundreds of voters in Tacoma today.
Seattle Canvass - Miraculously, the rain stopped just long enough for 50 volunteers to knock on thousands of neighborhood doors and talk to voters about protecting ALL Washington families by voting "approved" on R-71. Canvassers also urged voters to defeat the insidious Eyman I-1033 initiative and renew the Seattle housing levy. Immediately following the canvass, the rain resumed. As the Approve 71 campaign Facebooked, "It's raining equality in Washington!" Here are a few comments from our intrepid canvassers:
"It was fun! We even had a big kitty follow us around for a bit. If she could vote, she'd vote to APPROVE R-71."The canvass was organized with the help of the amazing Aubrey (in gray), who is on loan to Washington Families Standing Together from Basic Rights Oregon. BRO is also lending several organizers to Maine's No On 1 campaign. Thanks BRO!"It was great to be out in Seattle knocking on doors and passing out info! The rain stopped just in time for us to canvass and started up as soon as we were done. Even the weather's with us...see you in the West Seattle Junction tomorrow!"
"We had a very positive experience door belling for Approve Ref-71 yesterday. Only one negative voter was encountered. In fact,many people thanked us for trying to make a difference!"
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| Pre-canvass organizing | Filling out post-canvass tally sheets |
Gig Harbor Rally - The YWCA mostly organized the counter rally in response to the Gig Harbor Reject 71 rally. Here, complete with cell phone picture! is the report from one of the Y organizers. I've redacted names for privacy:
Happiness is standing on a street corner in the pouring rain because you believe passionately in a cause.
Thank you to K for organizing the Approve 71 rally in Gig Harbor today. For most of the 4 hours, there were more of us than the reject side.
Thank you also to YWCA staff that stood up for justice today:
R who showed up with her dogs wearing Approve 71 green bandanas.
D and her husband B
M and his wife L
J's partner K and baby A
K and her daughter M& fef#xD;In addition to YW staff, there were members of the community....for a total of 25 people holding signs to Approve 71. Here is the best news of all. We received way more thumbs up than thumbs down. They had the bigger signs but we had more energy and enthusiasm. And more horns honked in support of us than them.
There were literally thousands of cars who read our signs which said things like: Support all families, Approve 71.
K will let you know of more opportunities to help with the campaign. If we all do a little, we will create equal rights for all people for a lifetime.
Spokane Rally - Blend reader Jim reports in on the rally in Spokane which he attended and linkst; us to the local news report.
We went to the counter rally at Calvary Baptist on Hastings Road in Spokane...the images [in the news story] are great because it shows a lot more of the Approve crowd than the rejects. We were actually buried in a sea of about 70 people all holding 2 or three reject signs and the giant 10 foot signs but they did not make it into the video. It looks like we were pretty evenly matched.T minus 16 days.
We're just 16 days from election day. Phone banks are available daily in Seattle, several days per week in numerous other locations, and any time you feel like it if you phone from home!
Update: The following was emailed to me by Blend reader Amanda.
In response to the Faith and Freedom Network's weekly REJECT 71 rallies, my friends and I are coordinating our own APPROVE 71 rally to take place in Washington's second largest city, Spokane.Recomondation: Print up plenty of palm cards to hand out to passers-by. These little cards are packed with info and fit conveniently into a pocket!What: Approve 71 Rally!
Where: Main and Division, Spokane
When: Friday, October 23 at 4:00
From the remarks prepared for delivery by Attorney General Eric Holder at the Anti-Defamation League's 2009 American Heritage Dinner, where he mentions the add of sexual orientation, gender identity, and perceived gender to the new hate crimes legislation (emphasis added):
...In the last ten years, approximately half of all reported hate crimes were racially motivated. But I don't need to tell this organization that other groups are targets of hate crimes too.Hatred associated with religion has generally accounted for the second highest number of hate crimes incidents. This is closely followed by animus against individuals because of their sexual orientation. Hate crimes against individuals of Hispanic or Latino national origin, and those perceived to be immigrants, have increased four years in a row, amounting to a total increase of 40%. The ADL has done important work documenting increased activity by hate groups who recruit new members using virulent anti-immigrant rhetoric that they present as legitimate opinion. Such language can have a devastating effect not just on an individual, but on
an entire community.Against this backdrop, the new hate crimes legislation will arrive not a moment too soon. And on the day that it becomes law, we will hasten to begin using it.
The new law expands the list of protected categories beyond race, color, religion, or national origin, and, for the first time, allows the federal government to prosecute violence undertaken because of the actual or perceived gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability of any person. Under the law about to be replaced, these crimes fell entirely outside the reach of federal law enforcement, and only a handful of state laws offer such protection. And let me add that the change allowing us to prosecute crimes motivated by gender is particularly satisfying because it comes in the middle of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In my Justice Department, we will make combating violence against women a top priority.
We will also continue to defend vigilantly the civil rights of all people in this country, and prosecute criminal acts of discrimination wherever we find them...
This take on hate crimes legislation is good news for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, but will likely be taken as bad news by the usual suspects of "Christian" conservative organizations.
Well, as someone who reads what many religious right people and organizations have to say on LGBT people and issues, let me say that in my mind there's no doubt that we're going to see another explosion of "thought crime" and "It's Anti-Christian!" rhetoric from the conservative "Christian" organizations when the hate crimes legislation is actually signed by President Obama.
COMMUNITY VIGIL FOR COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM
VIGILIA COMUNITARIA PARA UNA REFORMA COMPRESIVA DE LAS LEYES DE INMIGRACIÃ"N
Friday, October 23, 2009
viernes 23 octubre de 2009
7:30 to 8:30 pm. St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church
1704 NE 43rd Ave., Portland
This bilingual community service will include songs, prayers, stories, and Scripture reflections, followed by a candlelight proceture reflections, followed by a candlelight procession to the Hollywood MAX station. Este servicio comunitario bilingüe incluirá cantos, oraciones, comentarios y reflexiones BÃblicas. Después iremos en procesion para la Estación de MAX para una vigilia con velas. For more information please contact:Deacon Marla McGarry-Lawrence
St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church
1704 NE 43rd Ave.
Portland, OR 97213-1402
503-284-7141 ext. 314 CAUSA (Oregon's Immigrant Rights Coalition), the largest Latin@ civil and human rights and advocacy organization in the Pacific Northwest
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