What Would Chisholm Do?

  

    I'm feeling especially inspired after talking to voters about the upcoming mayoral election. Almost everyone who stopped talked with me seemed to have a since that this election was an important one.

     Two conversations in particular stood out to me during my outreach. One was with a short elderly woman whom by her accent I could assume to be West Indian. Growing up in Brooklyn, and watching the media it would not be inclined to vote for the first openly gay mayor. The woman looked up at me after she heard me say the Name Chris .. before I could say Quinn she said "Oh the gay one?" I immediately assumed that this woman would not be interested in signing a petition to get Chris on the ballot let a lone vote for her in September and November. To my surprise the woman signed the petition. She looked at me and said "The lady wants to be Mayor.. the rest is none of my business. While she never said she was affirming of LGBT lifestyles I left with a great amount of respect for her. She asked me " You like her?" We talked for a second, the woman began to walk away and she turned around and said " I have a good feeling about her." I said "I know, me too" smiling.

   To me it wasn't just a conversation, over even just about this Mayoral election. This conversation was so inspirational because I learned a lot about the assumptions I make. I also learned to be patient and to realize that progress is happening within communities of color regarding accepting LGBT people.

    Another conversation that stuck with me was with a mother. She told me that she feared for her son's life because she heard the mayor say that he wanted Black and Latinos stopped and frisked. She told me that she wanted a mayor that would oppose Black and Latino young men being targets of the NYPD. I smiled when she said "We need a black woman, another Shirley Chisholm." If Mrs. Chisholm was alive today what would she say about stop and frisk?

This Calls for a Blender

                    
This past weekend I was pleased to visit my family friends house at their house in Brooklyn Heights. It was a very beautiful one might I add. When I was visiting John and his partner Mike and their two children the only thoughts that were in my head was "I gotta Look Good, you know how these queens can be" and OMG they have such a lovely family.

                  Openly sharing about the adoption of his own children was very affirming. Some times the images I have seen of adoptive family situations are not always positive. Speaking of portrayal of foster families in media I have to ask: has anyone seen the show the Fosters? I couldn't stand to watch the whole first episode.
                    
                  Ok- Back to Mike and John. Even if Mike and John was the meanest person I have ever met they would still deserves the full service of his government; all of the benefits straight couples have. But it happened that they weren't Bitches at all and I don't need to tell anyone but yes, they were a family.

                    What was interesting is that Mike and John loved each other. They loved their children. Regardless of what the Federal government said they were married. The love was there. The only thing that was missing however was a blender. Mike said that if DOMA passes he and John would wed. Someone better get looking for a blender soon!

Jay

What condition will Earth be in for future generations?

It angers me that folks are willing to put profit before the wellbeing of their own environment and the environment their children and children's children must inhabit. We must not play Politics with the future of our planet. The facts do n...ot lie. It's time to get read about the danger fossil fuels pose to our home!

In an article for Thinkprogress.org Joe Romm cites multiple studies that illustrate the peril our planet is in and the threat it poses to future generations.

"The website RealClimate... points out that the amount of dangerous carbon dioxide we spew into the air each day from burning fossil fuels and deforestation is roughly equivalent to 'five thousand spills like in the Gulf of Mexico, all going at once … every day for decades and centuries on end."

Our crops are withering, our shores are being hammered by historic storms. It is not impossible to argue that climate change is not a reality. The question is: What are we going to do to stop it?"

Happy Passover

Passover is a time where Jewish people reflect on their deliverance from the house of bondage into their holy land. In doing so they overcame those who sought to destroy them for who they were. They story of passover is an important one not only for Jewish peoples but for people's across our country who have been oppressed. It is a day to give thanks for what we have while remembering those who do not. To all of my friends celebrating Happy Passover.

Jay

The Reality of Global Warming

Wake up folks! GlobalWarming is a reality! Last year was the warmest, and second most extreme year for whether in history. 

-2012 was the 9TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR we broke the warmest temperature record. 

-65.5 percent of the contiguous U.S experienced a drought in Sept. 

-13.88 the number of feet of storm surge from Post-tropical storm Sandy measured at The Battery in New York City Harbor.

We must act soon to save our environment

Jay

The current unemployment rate amongst African Americans is a little above 14 percent. While we are debating the tax rates for the very wealthy we cannot endanger our families who are more venerable. IT IS IMMORAL TO MAKE CUTS TO SOCIAL SECURITY for millions of Americans and then turn around and not ask the wealthy to pay a little more.

The current unemployment rate amongst African Americans is a little above 14 percent. While we are debating the tax rates for the very wealthy we cannot endanger our families who are more venerable. IT IS IMMORAL TO MAKE CUTS TO SOCIAL SECURITY for millions of Americans and then turn around and not ask the wealthy to pay a little more.