Social Dispatch

Say What? Moments in Animals Rights

2011-09-21T01:10:00.000-07:00

This week two events happened that made me do a double take! I've been following and supporting animal rights for years now in many different capacities (I was vegan for almost an entire year!), but these are headlines I didn't see coming.

PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is looking to add porn to it's list of activities. You read correctly. While many companies are buying up their .xxx names so others won't be able to use their likeness in ways that might not flow with their mission statements, Peta is looking to use this opportunity to get you think about saving the bunnies while you rub one out. According to announcements I've read, Peta will give you a small taste of fun before showing you more graphic images of animal slaughter. It's great to raise awareness, but at what cost? The people who might be willing to visit a site like this may have other concerns on their mind than reducing animal harm. As much as I'm ok watching porn and fighting for animal rights, these are not two venues I would combine to cut down on time. Frankly, I think Peta is going to attract more unscrupulous types than real activist.

In cool but probably not going to change the world news, the West Hollywood, CA city council has just voted to be the first fur-free city. That means the sale of furs will be illegal within this city limits which is comprised of less than 3 miles. This only includes sales for clothing and not for furniture or leather, also a huge impact toward animal deaths. Fur will still be sold in the next town over, Beverly Hills, so some activist aren't ready to cross the fur industry off their list. Nevertheless, CA and Hollywood specifically likes to be the driving force behind a lot of issues; this one may just be their next big hit.

Finding Church Without God

2011-09-06T00:48:00.001-07:00

For the past 4 or 5 weeks I have been attending the Unitarian Universalist Church of Studio City. I found them the same way I locate most of the things I need/want in my life, through the internet. I had been looking for something familiar to believe in, without the familiar judgement I grew up with. Needless to say, a church without God was exactly what I was looking for.

The first time I attended a service, I made someone go with me. My best friend and husband worked well for this. We all took turns after the service talking about what we liked and didn't like. We each have very different worship and religious backgrounds that finding an outlet we could all appreciate seemed strange at first. The BFF is a devoted Lutheran, the husband a stanch atheist from the Catholic community. I was baptized Southern Baptist but had also walked away from the church. So what was so moving of a sermon on this day? It was nothing special, just the background and thoughts of the new interim minister. There wasn't even a moral to the story. The music was quite ordinary for church, a little Mozart and two non-descript hymnals. It was a comfortable atmosphere to partake in.

So I went back the next week. It was a little different and I didn't have a huge entourage with me. I only had the baby and she was asleep. I wasn't so moved the second week and thought my lack of friends was the problem. I was ready to through in the towel. However, my lovely BFF reminded me that not every week was going to be amazing and that I shouldn't give up so easy. I was looking to make friends and become a part of a community. One mediocre time was acceptable. And I went back the next week.

More people started to recognize or chat with me before services. I started learning the words to songs they sang every week. But every week was completely different. One week all the transitional music was instrumental Joni Mitchell. Sermons were given by church members, both young and old a
Non-church member with a very strange background talked about how Hula and the Hawaiian culture saved his life, and all the music that day was Hawaiian. The diversity is why I went looking for a church home like this.

I am not big on churches or worship or God. I don't even like to use those terms to describe anything I am planing to participate in. At first, I referred to it as "the-place-that-shall-not-be-named," making for some giggles from the hubby. More recently, a friend I have acquired through the church community told me to call it BYOG (Bring your own God). So here is why I keep going back.

Unitarians love everyone and only want world peace and social justice for all. No really, they do. What connects these people to each other is not what they believe, but in their actions for humanity. They are accepting of LGBT issues and Atheists are welcomed. God is never mentioned, but many people believe in one (or many or non). Readings have come from spiritual and non-spiritual works and the hymnals have songs about saving the planet. I didn't think it was possible, but this is the kind of worship I want. The loving, open, all-are-invited kind.

My past made me yearn for a church home; my intentions gave me peace of mind.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Mother's Day Revelations

2011-05-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

There are two points of view you can have on Mother's day: as your mother's child and/or as a mother. Today, I realized, that I had achieved both perspectives.

I have been gone from the blogging world because I have been busy being pregnant. I am actually in my 9th month and my due date is just two weeks away (which means I could go into labor at any moment). So no, I am not getting hand written cards from little ones or presents brought by my husband with my child's name written on them. I am not recounting all the joys of motherhood with other mom friends of mine. I did not have a fun filled day of mommy pampering. However, I am now a part of a group that has or will care for a child. My husband and I decided we wanted to have a baby; not every woman is so lucky.

Today I woke up like it was any other normal Sunday. I laughed with my husband in bed while we procrastinated getting started on a day in which we had no plans to accomplish. I even made breakfast. All this while ignoring the pesky texts messages I had been receiving since 6 am (from people on the East coast during their breakfast time, me being on the West) that said "Happy Mother's Day." You see, people had actually been saying that to me all week, and I have just smiled and said a polite thank you. I have never been a mother before and until last Sunday, I really didn't think I was one now. But, no matter what happens, I will have a child and I will have to fit "mommy" into my daily life. But when do you really become a mom? And Is it anymore who has given birth or is taking care of children? Was I a mom when I conceived or at least when I hit 23 weeks, the point in which the fetus inside me could live potentially live outside of my womb (with the help of science of course)? Or what about now, two weeks from "due", my baby being addressed by the name we have decided to give her?

Maybe that day started today, at least for me. To see the admiration people have for their mothers (something I have for my mother) and to have that same pride bestowed upon me was sort of surreal. Have I even been able to prove that I deserve admiration? Some must think so. Enough people took time out of their day to send me text and Facebook messages for me to see maybe I should take another look at how I see myself. All this Mother's Day attention helped me step into my next big role.

Right now, all I can do is plan to be the best mother I can be, something I learned from my mom. And after today, even though I have never done some of the amazing things people thank their mothers for, I know that I will. Being a good or great mom is a state of mind, living for your children and teaching them to love themselves as much as you love them (or more in some cases)! Thank you mom for all your love, something I have been transferring to my new daughter, even before she knows what a "mom" is.

Book Review: The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield

2010-07-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

I read this book because I was told it would change my life and how I looked the world around me. Pretty much exactly what the book said. However, I was not completely changed even though I thought some of the ideas of the book were on the right track. I didn't like the fact that this author made up an idea and started selling it as enlightenment. It felt forced and overplayed. I couldn't feel connected with the main character (he was a bit too full of himself) and about half way through the book I had to force myself to keep reading. The writing was not that good and the "coincidences" make the story feel almost incomplete, like written on a whim. I latched onto the energy of the universe concept and even that we all have that energy within us. The rest of the story needs some work to be a bit more believable.

The idea of just walking into enlightenment is not an easy one to grasp. So I just show up and take it? I don't think so. Real knowledge should take years, and the main character of this book can do it in days? Very Neo from the Matrix of you Redfield. And why is he come off a misogynistic and over-barring? Anyway, I can't really recommend this book because I don't think it will change your life. I think it might open you up for wanting to change, but when the book ends, it does not lead you on a greater path (there is a sequel and maybe you have to read them both to get the real effect). Somehow, it made me want to shy away from this idea, not embrace it. It is suppose to bring greater meaning to the lives we all lead, empowering all of us to make better decisions about the world around us. If you want enlightenment, take a yoga class. Leave this book on the shelf.

I'm not the woman in the pin-striped suit

2010-03-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

As I returned home yesterday from the grocery store, arms full of bags, I realized that the title of cook was never something I felt would define the adult I would become. I also never thought I would be able to work in peasant skirts and flip flops, but I'm getting ahead of myself. I came into my shared apartment, placed my things on the floor and thought, wow, this is not where I saw myself ten years ago. This is not where I saw myself three years ago. The funny thing is, I'm happy.

I was a child of great independence and never really felt hindered by my gender or race. I say really because people tried to tell me all the time how my gender or race was keeping me from doing something, but I always did what I wanted. I went to the schools I wanted, I learned the skills and fleshed out the talents I wanted, because I wanted to. My mother had her hand in the pot occasionally, but what mother doesn't? All-in-all, no one ever told me who or what to be, never told me that I couldn't do something, and when they did, I did it anyway. I don't blame people for my mistakes and I rarely ask for forgiveness. I hate to ask others for help, but I'm not too pompous to do so. Point is, I thought I would be in a different place now.

I thought I would be that businesswoman with the pin-stripe suit/skirt set and that I would have an office in a building that had more floors than years I have seen. This vision has always been apart of my future, even if I didn't have a good reason for it, except that when you hear of women like that, they all started out like me. Yet, I took a different road- the one more traveled.

I got married and moved as far from my family as I could. When I was young, that was all I wanted- not the marriage part but the moving part. But the older I got, the more comfortable I became with living and breathing twenty minutes from my birthplace. Now that I can't drive by that hospital or my parent's house everyday, I miss it. But I'm starting to get off topic.

The point is, I am not the woman I envisioned I would be. I became the nightly cook, a role I hated to see my mother in because she worked just as hard as anyone else in the house outside of the house. I'm been wanting a baby since I said "I do", but was the kind of person just three years ago that would have worked until the day she died without a man or a child. For a while I was a house-wife, and during that time, I felt nothing but shame. But I leaned latter that my perception was the wrong way to go about it. What's the big deal? Many women all over America would kill to have the life I do- work part-time, husband can afford to pay all the bills and I can afford to shop, do anything I want because I am held to no one's standards but my own. But I did not know how to handle it.

I am a stanch Feminist, and I worked really hard for that to be the first thing people see me as. And living so far away from anything I had ever known before 2009 has opened my mind to a new world of possibilities.

I am not oppressed- neither by my gender or race. I am not wanting of a different situation, I love my husband and our plans to have a family. I am not a failure at being a feminist, especially because I have come to these conclusions. Sometimes, the choices we make for ourselves just aren't choices for others; but that doesn't mean that for us they are bad or oppressive choices. I didn't become that head executive with a corporate bank account like I thought I would- I became a part-time elementary school librarian, a full-time wife and looking to become a full-time mother. And I'm happy.

My path didn't take me in the direction I was expecting, and it doesn't for most. Many of us have regrets of things that we wish we could have done differently. You shouldn't. Regrets are of no use to you. They have been no use to me. I guess this post was just a reassurance to you that you are probably on the right path- you can't be on any other. And if you are on the wrong path, you took a wrong turn somewhere, back up, and try again. Life holds all these possibilities, we can't get hung up on not being the person our 15-year-old self wrote wrote about in their diary. I use to be and all it did was make me upset.

Even though we may think we have no power, I believe we all have the power to be influential. We can change the world, no matter if it's by an expense account or a good deed for someone you don't know. I wanted to be that influence and thought I could only have it with power, I was wrong. Find your passion. Find your love. Become an activist. Do something for free, because only so many people can make six-figure incomes. :-)

Book Review: The Skin I'm In by Sharon G. Flake

2010-03-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

I saw this book a number of times, looking back at me. After a while, I wanted to know what all the staring is about. The synopsis on the back was minimal: a girl gets picked on about her skin color; then, a teacher with an actual skin problem comes to teach at the school. That is not what keeps you reading and that's not what moves you. Maleeka and her pain moves you. What keeps you reading is the heartache she has to want be different and proud, but can't because she is a follower and ashamed of her talents. It's a coming of age story, mixed with strong ideals on women and gender issues, subtle thoughts on racism and a little bit of teen awkwardness. It isn't a long book, only 171 pages and it's written for Young Adults. It is a winner of the prestigious Coretta Scott King award and is one of the ALA's Best Books for Young Adults. Nevertheless, that is not why you should read it. The story brings about joy, as well as sadness, and reminds us that we all have the strength, if we just believe in ourselves.

2010 Call For A Little Change

2010-01-07T22:59:00.000-08:00

I've been going about this all wrong. I have been trying to compartmentalize my life as, well as my thoughts, and I'm not feeling too good about it. I'm not doing too well either. This blog was suppose to be more about the issues I want to talk about and less about me. However, as a good friend reminded me, the issues I fight for are not in-and-of-themselves kind of issues. They are topics I want to talk about because I find them to be personal in some way. What this all means is that when I have something to say, I should write about it and not feel that it is too personal for this specific outlet. I am personal. I have ideas. Some of my ideas can be deemed political. I have political thoughts. I just have to allow myself and my audience to cope with these ideas and my concerns. I guess it would be better to say this blog is both personal and not personal. Sometimes it's me and sometimes it just is. That is the best way I can describe it.

I also want to take a page from another friend's book and set goals for myself. I am a walking and talking organizer and love my many to-do list. This, though, should be bigger than a list of errands. So here are the few goals I have for the year, keeping in mind that I may have to come back and revise my list, or check it to make sure I am sticking to my plans. Hopefully I can make 2010 a year of accomplishments.

1. Read Like I Use To
Sometime around the age of 16 or 17, I stopped reading as passionately as I had when I was a child. I don't know if it is because reading for school became daunting or if I just never made the time. Whatever it was, I'm changing it. If that means that I watch less tv and buy more books, then I am ok with that. I got into the Non-Fiction when I started college because of my majors; nevertheless, with my new connections and the awesomeness of a site called Librarything.com, I have been reintroduced to the love of books I had as a child, which was mostly Fiction. Really, I never stopped reading and I never stopped loving to read. Now, I plan to make the time for it. So far I don't have a goal of the number of books I want to read, but like I said, check back for updates.

2. Really Get In Shape
I jog. I do yoga. I eat better than I ever have before. I just want to keep it up and be fit. Some of it is my issue with weight but it shouldn't be. Which leads me to my next goal.

3. Be Happy With My Size, Shape and Color
Very self-explanatory. Just to be happy with me. I have to overcome some issues I don't really want to admit I have but if I want to be happy, I have to live me. (So does everyone else.)

4. Stay Informed With What Is Going On In The World
For a while, I was really good about reading web journals and watching the news everyday. Somehow, I got away from that. It may also be why I haven't written a blog in a while because I don't know what is happening around me. That needs to change. I can't live in a box (sorry Jeca) and I can't talk about things I know nothing about.

5. Really Learn Spanish
I want to teach in L.A. I took Spanish in high school and college and STILL CAN'T SPEAK IT. Well not anymore. I have the background to really be good at it and I need it here.

6. Pick Up My Instrument
I don't remember being this stressed out about life when I played violin and I remember how much it was a part of my life. I lost a little bit of myself when I stopped playing. I know there are only so many hours in a day, but one of them should go to something as important as my music.

6. Continue To Be A Voice For Change
Why have a blog if you don't use it for good? The same with Twitter or Facebook or MySpace? Why do anything if not to better the community around you and in turn the world? That is what this blog is for, to be a voice. By the end of the year, I should have my Masters and my teaching credential, which is just a springboard for a lot of the work I really want to do.

The Joy of Reaading

2009-12-03T13:18:00.000-08:00

It is wonderful to give the joy of reading to a child. To see their face light up when they hear the difference of inflection of your voice; the intrigue at mysterious sections, their brains trying to piece together the contents; knowing they have been introduced to a land of imagination, insight and an idea of creation they did not have previously. I did not teach her to read, but I am giving her the confidence she needs to do just that.

It pains me to see a mother feel helpless for her child, noting that the school sent home a paper explaining the dilemma. She can read, yes, but at a 5th grade level. That would be amazing if she were in 5th grade, or 4th, or 3rd; but she is not- she is in 8th. What to do? Her essay writing is not much better. Her comprehension is average, but you need more than comprehension to pass the 8th grade. (How has she gotten this far, I think to myself?)

My poor student, who shall remain nameless, is afraid of reading. She shutters at the thought to read out loud, and when she does, she rushes. Letters and whole words are omitted to get through the process. She adds tenses in strange places, and misreads as if no one will know. She has a learning disability and she has been programed to think she cannot read or write any better than she already does.

Yet, she is intelligent. When given the chance, she can analysis and interpret literary themes. With a little help, she can diagram a plot sequence. With the right attitude, she can write journal entries worthy of discussion. This student means the world to me and I am so happy to have stumbled across her. I love this student, and for the last 3 weeks, I have been giving her the joy of reading. Ever read out loud to someone hanging on your every word? I have. Ever jumped up and down and made someone scream at the top of their lungs "I can do it!"? I have. Know how it feels to change a life with just words on a page? I do.

Give the joy of reading to someone, anyone. You'll be happy you did.

Always B Natural: Commentary on Good Hair

2009-11-11T20:51:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, my husband and I enjoyed the new Chris Rock documentary, "Good Hair", in Times Square with many other women interested in what the funny man's input would be on such a touchy subject. Touchy because the documentary was not about different types of hair from different types of people; it was about the different types of things BLACK women did to their hair in the effort to make it "good hair".

Before I get into how I felt about the movie, just a few thoughts on the theater. First, I was surprised at how many non-black females were interested in this movie. I must admit, I heard about this on Oprah, and A LOT of women (and men) watch Oprah, of all backgrounds. There were not a lot of people in the theater to begin with, but it was a pretty mixed bag. With that said...

... I loved this movie. The insight and story behind this film was amazing. Chris talked to many black women and men, both celebrities and average everyday people. From the working class to students, even to children, Chris wanted every opinion he could get on what black women do for hair care. He got down and dirty with the "perm", the "weave" and "natural" hairstyles and what he found out might shock you.

This is what I found:
We find ways to give ourselves excuses to live by. Excuses that get us through the day, that we give to our co-workers or friends, and even our families. Some women were angry after the release of this film because they thought that he had given away all the black hair secrets- placing black women farther out of reach of the comfortable lives that white women may have. Some women felt it made them closer to other races because they didn't have to hide what they were doing anymore. This movie opened up conversations that need to be had and I loved it.

I admit, black women hide. They... We... Women try to keep up with what they are told is fashionable and they want to be that. Black women do not have long silky hair that flows to the floor because it's not suppose to be. Sorry, but Tyra let us all know, we're wearing weave (not all of us!). A lot of us have beautiful, long and healthy hair. And once you pay for it, it can technically be considered yours. Just wait until you see were all that hair is coming from! Many of us are hiding, but we don't have to. We can come out and yell at the top of our lungs- "I WILL ALWAYS BE NATURAL!!!" This movie got me screaming and talking and ultimately, blogging.

Recently, before all the hoopla about hair and Chris Rock, I choose to cut off most of my chemically straighten hair and opt for a more natural style.

So I practice what I preach.

Was it easy? For me, yeah! But most people don't like drastic. And you don't have to be.

So my motto? Be natural. ALWAYS BE NATURAL! Good hair is what you make of it, what you put into it and what you get out of it. As for Chris, he made a really great and informative documentary. No matter what kind of hair you have, check out it out.

Socal Dispach on The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

2009-11-11T19:54:00.000-08:00

In a very intriguing read, Michael Pollan tries to get more personal with what he eats and how food makes it his plate. His premise? Simply follow the origins of a dish from the farm to his plate. And could it be done? Pollan did with his charm and wit.

He gives a long introduction on how we as Omnivores go through the daily troubles of trying to figure out simply what to eat! Unlike others in the animal kingdom (because many forget we are animals too), we can decide on chicken or fish. Or plants. Plus, with all the food available to us in the west, how can we really know what we're getting into?

I really enjoyed this selection and believe it was written very well. We all need to know a little more about what we are eating and paying for. I didn't feel that he gave equal consideration to the vegetarian lifestyle (be gave it a section of a chapter) as he did to the entire section about corn (which was the whole first half of his book); however, he made a lot of really good points and does an excellent job of making you more aware of what's going on in and around your food. This book is a good starting place but don't stop there. Pollan is only one voice of the very complex issues of food production, processing and transportation. He tries to stay objective, but I don't believe he does. And he can't- it's HIS journey into food, and you have his perspective. Occasionally he adds in the thoughts and quotes of others in the food industry, in his efforts to be objective.

Filled with new facts, history and the mindset that all food is created equal, Michael Pollan takes you farther than you ever thought we could go.

4 STARS

How Wonderful...

2009-10-25T00:28:00.000-07:00

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world".

-Anne Frank,
Diary of a Young Girl, 1952

Political Clowns or When Comedians Take The Stage

2009-10-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

I am not a social commentator and I don't usually get paid for pretending to be. Actually, all I get for it are "good jobs" or "no, I don't think so's". I am also not a journalist or a reporter, but the Internet lets everyone have an opinion- fact based or not- and I decided to hold my own soap box tangent because it makes me feel better. So when I took the time to get to know one political commentator a bit better, I was floored at the idea that Glenn Beck has a fan club, let alone a strong following.

Beck is the new big man on campus and the latest class clown to throw a pie in the face of politics. He himself claims to be a commentator, NOT a reporter. HE claims to be an entertainer. I recently, as of yesterday, watched part of his TV show as he reminded his audiences of how ALL that he says is pure opinion. He has made other claims to remind us that he doesn't fact check- something any person with a Wi-Fi connection can do. He has no regard for what he says, and neither does his parent channel, Fox News. To me, the biggest question is: Why are we lending our ears to a comedian about how we should behave in politics?

Beck's opinions have been spouting forth like the word of God, something he seems to know a lot about. Yet, in an interview on the popular show, The View, he can't even get his facts straight. He goes so far on his radio show to inflate the facts about a chance meeting with Barbra Walters and Whoopi Goldberg, and then thinks that they may not bring it up on their show. Even Hasselbeck couldn't argue that he seemed to have stepped out of line with his lack of tack and factual knowledge. Maybe this is saying a lot for The View, but they fact check.

This commentator is also really good at saying some really mean things, just to get the ratings he needs. He went on earlier today, ranting about how Obama made September 11 a National Day of Service. Beck was furious that this was signed into law (an article stating that Congress refused to push it through because they were in recess) and went on and on about it, noting to everyone in his office that he would not want to have this day be of service- he needs that day to grieve and remember. His main concern? Who was in on the decision? Did the families of the victims know? According to Beck, in grave detail, a hodgepodge of companies and liberal groups where present by conference call- and non of the families had been asked. However, if you do a little digging, as I did, for about five minutes, you will find a nice article (taken from the "Fair and Balanced" news site that houses Beck's TV program) on the National Day of Service as something put together by 9/11 families to pay respect to all those who lost their lives that tragic day. The article can be found here: http://origin.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,94503,00.html and is dated back to early August. Beck, who himself has said to "hate 9/11 families" didn't bother to do his homework. And he usually doesn't.

We wouldn't put this much stock into our actual comedian news reporters, like Stewart and Colbert. And they have staff writers and fact checkers. Lots of liberals love to get their news from them, but they aren't taking to the streets because they know their comedians are on a comedy network. Even when Colbert "pretended" to run for president, he backed out, understanding his role in the media. Stewart is smart and informed, something you can tell because he doesn't treat his interviews as personal attacks (unlike Beck who took the liberty to scream, repeatedly, at a caller because she did not understand his stance on the health care issue). We see Stewart and others as the political comedians that they are, and no one is handing Dave Chappelle or Dane Cook a radio show to have political opinions. Leave the opinions at home. Take the five minutes and do some fact checking.

I'm not personally attacking Glenn because he thinks he's funny and has an opinion. He does a great job voicing his opinion to high heaven, and getting a large group to rally behind him. My problem with Beck is the fact that we are suppose to take him seriously, until he says some rude and nasty thing, gets mass coverage, and then we're suppose to remember he's just a entertainer and just giving commentary. Nothing more, nothing less. Yet, A LOT of people view everything he says to not only be fact, but facts worth starting fights over. "It is time to go to Washington! It is time to stand or sit in the middle of the street if you have to!" He isn't holding himself accountable because we, as smart citizens, should know when and when not to take him seriously. Here, for your enjoyment, are some other lovely things to attribute to Beck, care of Wiki quote:

"Hey, does anybody notice this crazy thing that we’re on the road to socialism? I’m just saying. Wow. We got — we got the SCHIPs thing going for us. That’s great. There is the change that we were all hoping for, really, seriously. Hey, I got an idea. If we’re going down the road to socialism, I mean, why not really go for it, huh? Comrades, good news from the western front, our glorious revolution is starting to take hold. Oh, the revolution of change. Our fearless leader has just signed in SCHIPs, and earlier today, he spoke out against capitalism. Listen up."
- In response on Fox News to the S-CHIPS bill signed by President Obama on February 4, 2009

And it was from America. Progressive movement in America. Eugenics. In case you don’t know what Eugenics led us to: the Final Solution. A master race! A perfect person. …. The stuff that we are facing is absolutely frightening. So I guess I have to put my name on yes, I hope Barack Obama fails. But I just want his policies to fail; I want America to wake up."
- In response on Fox News on President Obama overturning the ban on federally funded stem cell research on March 9, 2009

But the second thought I had when I saw these people and they had to shut down the Astrodome and lock it down, I thought: I didn't think I could hate victims faster than the 9-11 victims. These guys -- you know it's really sad. We're not hearing anything about Mississippi. We're not hearing anything about Alabama. We're hearing about the victims in New Orleans. This is a 90,000-square-mile disaster site, New Orleans is 181 square miles. A hundred and -- 0.2 percent of the disaster area is New Orleans! And that's all we're hearing about, are the people in New Orleans. Those are the only ones we're seeing on television are the scumbags -- and again, it's not all the people in New Orleans. Most of the people in New Orleans got out! It's just a small percentage of those who were left in New Orleans, or who decided to stay in New Orleans, and they're getting all the attention. It's exactly like the 9-11 victims' families. There's about 10 of them that are spoiling it for everybody. (Taken from http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200509090003)

I know he won't go away- if Fox had different opinions, he would have been fired already. Nevertheless, I hope more people are taking a little more time to truly understand what they are listening to. If it's facts, then fine. If it's opinion, then we should have some fact to back that up. And Beck, I appreciate your non-Liberal, non-Conservative awareness of what's going on. But when I want an opinion, I'll call my girlfriends.

(Copied from an older blog no longer available)