Election 2008 - Sonoma County & the Nation- LETTERS
Thank you for your comments - I will post them as they come in. This is an exciting time in all our lives for many reasons. We won some, we lost some - but the bottom line is we have a lot of work to do to heal our nation and bring our country closer to the values that established our government: Freedom and Justice for All. As the saying goes: be part of the solution.
I'll post new comments from the top down from here out - thanks for checking in!
Apparently we're still on hold for the 5th District Supervisor race - so when I know, I'll post the results.
Thank You!
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Newsflash!!! Santa Rosa! Sebastopol! The Scooter Lady is flying an American flag on her Yamaha! Could it be the election????
Love , Cecile Lusby
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Whoopee! Now I can dust off The Flag and hang it up proudly once again.
Yours in euphoria, Joyce
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Dear V,
Frankly with Barack Obama as President I am so elated that even the Prop 8 is not frightening -- now we don't have to fear about the Supreme Court for at least 4 years -- hopefully 8 -- and that, will ultimately be the way to make sure we all have equal rights...
I have received emails from my family all over the world with congratulations -- and mostly they are conservative -- but they are all elated about the US and the world's future now....
Oh, and California high speed rail -- about bloody time...
David ;)
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Dear Vesta:
I am disgusted now that Prop 8 did not pass. I want to encourage the gay community to not be so polite next time and bring up the fact that the in all the Bibles of the homophobic church people, that it states that "adulterers and fornicators do not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)." Also, in the Hebrew scriptures, those horny heterosexual busted in the act were stoned to death. Let us all create a new proposition and reinstate the Biblical stoning law for all the hypocritical church people that are shacking up-living in sin, having heterosexual sex before they are married, cheating on spouses, after years of having sex with family members who then resort to raping women, having sex with children and animals.
I mention the above crimes against humanity because I know of so many King Henry VIII inspired Protestant religions that "do not consider such atrocities as cheating on their spouses so that their partners do not have scriptural backing to get a divorce and get away from them." Especially "if their victims did not scream bloody murder with a gun pointed at their head in the middle of nowhere & had two to three witnesses to the act. (
Heterosexual "loose conduct" as Christians like to call it, cheapens their relationship with their creator and their marriage is not sacred in the eyes of God (Hebrews 13:4). I know my hypocritical horny Christian neighbors married and divorced a few times with several sets of kids will disagree with me as they say "what gay people do in the bedroom is unorthodox." They have taken a Sharpie and blacked out where it says next to homosexuals which they have highlighted in bright yellow, "Do not be misled...neither fornicators and adulterers will inherit the kingdom of God." Sorry Christians...you are on the same playing field as regards to "sin" as homosexuals. One sin is not greater than the other. Now back to that proposition, let's get the stoning of heterosexuals on the ballot next time. Who knows, maybe it can be made into one of those tacky American reality shows! I think that would be a big hit with a never ending supply of cast members! (humor)
I am a heterosexual woman that is sick of the hypocritical application of the scriptures that only benefits the majority of the population. Nine times of ten, homosexuals have nothing to do with heterosexual divorce or bringing down the scared institution of it. I think that "rafter" scripture should apply here since there is much husband and wife swapping and perversions in so called "Christian" churches among the heterosexuals in the congregation that account for about 95% of the moral atrophy in our society. Thanks for hearing me gripe!
Sincerely glad Obama won,
Rachele Ketchem
Sebastopol
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MY NEW MANTRA IS IF BARAK CAN DO IT THEN I WILL KEEP GOING TOO - Sandra
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Submitted by Carole and Big Man:
An Open Letter to Barack Obama - By Alice Walker (Nov. 5, 2008)
Today at
8:44am | Nov. 5, 2008
http://www.theroot.com/id/48726
Dear Brother Obama,
You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year,
decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay
runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part of our
strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balm for the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.
I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and
lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is all that so many people in the world
really want. They may buy endless cars and houses and furs and gobble up all the attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of almost everyone.
I would further advise you not to take on other people's enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have
enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are commander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with which
I often fought, "hate the sin, but love the sinner." There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people's spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.
A good model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and brightening the world.
We are the ones we have been waiting for.
In Peace and Joy,
Alice Walker
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Obama's campaign, and its success, reminds me of how the Republican party laid claim to the American flag after 911. Democrats everywhere were saying “it's our flag, too!” Now whites are looking at Obama and saying - he's our white man, too. The beauty of this man - beyond his incredible intelligence, his calm demeanor and everything else exceptional about him - is that he is multi-racial. He IS the American melting pot. We can ALL claim to be in his blood - his blood in ours. We are all ONE! - Vesta
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PROFESSORS AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
- POLITICAL, CULTURAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES
DR. DON ROMESBURG, a historian and professor of Women's and Gender Studies, is available for discussion of political and cultural issues regarding same-sex marriage. Dr. Romesburg is currently teaching an entire undergraduate course framed around the social, economic, political and cultural issues related to same-sex marriage.
He is doing research on the relationship between political discourses about marriage equality and LGBT civil rights and cultural representations of queer youth. Romesburg has also lectured on issues of race and gender in the battle over Proposition 8.
Romesburg is one of the many same-sex couples married in San Francisco in 2004 and again in California after the state's Supreme Court ruling earlier this year. He lives with his husband and daughter in San Francisco.
Office: 707.664.2474
Cell: 415.850.8580
Email: romesbur@sonoma.edu
DR. JULIE SHULMAN, Assistant Professor of Counseilng and a licensed psychologist, is available for discussion regarding the mental health of individuals in same-sex couples.
She can comment on the challenges and stressors of people in same-sex relationships, and she can specificaly address the experiences of marriage legislation and marriage access among people who are in same-sex relationships, including those in legal marriages and domestic partnerships.
Dr. Shulman teaches master's students training to be professional counselors, specilalizing in women and sexual minorities. She has presented her research at regional and national conferences.on the mental health of lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals as well as the psychological experiences among people in same-sex couples.
Office: 707.644.3395
Email: julie.shulman@sonoma.edu
Labels: LETTERS, POLITICS California, POLITICS: National, Sonoma County POLITICS
