Memorial Day

Memorial Day is the traditional kick off for Summertime, even though the official first day of summer is not until later in June. For many, Memorial Day means picnics, trips to the lake,  baseball games, horseshoes, pool parties, kids out of school, barbecues and the Indy 500.

And, yes, it means all those things, but there is a greater meaning.

The loss of a loved one in war must be a horrible burden to bear, one that I have not personally felt, but one that I can empathize with completely.

Our great nation, however imperfect she may be, has stood the test of time and our brightest and best have stood up for her and defended her throughout history, some with the forfeiture of their lives.

The shot heard ’round the world. The Battle of New Orleans. Gettysburg. The Hundred Day Offensive. Pearl Harbor, Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge and Iwo Jima.  The Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. The Tet Offensive.  The Mother of All Battles. Kabul. Baghdad.

No matter your thoughts on these wars, you have to respect those that fought them for us, and those that made the ultimate sacrifice. They deserve no less.

Today, when you sit down with your family, friends or even alone, take a moment to reflect on those that stood tall to protect our freedom and liberty.

But I would also suggest that you remember those that lost their lives, but not in uniform, but for a cause greater than themselves.

Medgar Evers. Dr. King. Rachel Corrie. James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner. Matthew Shepard. Harvey Milk. Rachel Corrie. Tom Hurndall. The Kennedy’s. And many, many more.

Today is the day we set aside to honor those that have come before us, blazing a trail so we all may have a better life. As you celebrate the day, stop to remember and honor those that have made this day possible.

It’s the least we can do.

William Stephenson Clark

Monday, 5/31/10, Public Square

Female Marines

Forty female Marines have arrived in Afghanistan with a mission impossible for their male counterparts: connecting with the war-torn country’s women. In groups of twos and threes, they’ve been sent throughout the country, into homes, where over cups of tea they dispense medical help and encourage women to become involved with Afghan society. “We know we can make a difference,” Capt. Emily Naslund told The New York Times. The female marines are not just running into the country’s cultural barriers but also those of the military as male commanders prove reluctant to send the women on some dangerous patrols. However, the men know the impact having women soldiers in their midst can have on the Afghan population. Without them, one said, “It’s just a bunch of guys with rockets and machine guns trying to hand out a bear to a kid, and he starts to cry.”

Sunday, 5/30/10, Public Square

MARY ANN IS A LESBIAN

( this is part of a short I have been working on. Still dressing up and rewriting, combing the hair on and the like)

Mary Ann walked from the bathroom into her bedroom, her shower and a cursory applying of makeup done.  She had brushed her hair and was pleased with its style, though it might be time for a new one maybe a little shorter?

She stood at the foot of the bed then announced out loud ….. “I am a Lesbian!”  There she had said it; the outburst was a realization, recognition, and an affirmation!  Words that had been whirling in her head for years but never allowed to be expressed.

She had a date tonight, a real date with an advance call asking if she would like to go out.  Planned and thought about, before it was always the happenstance meeting at a club.  Encountering another woman, a conversation would start and it would begin.  The awkward dance around, looking for clues and interest.  Talking is a sign of interest, but women talk anyway.  But unlike when a man and a woman talk, a woman just suddenly talk to another woman does not mean she wants anything sexual. In fact quite the opposite, women talking to each other is safe.  A woman talking to a man is often taken by the man that she is expressing she want to strip him naked and throw him on the floor. The mating rituals, smile, talk and then go.  But talking to another woman is more like a sister -ship, they have an understand that a man could not.  Some of the same experiences that only another woman would have.  And women like to talk while few men truly do want to at least not in great detail.

So the simple fact a woman talked to another woman is not a sign of interest.  Besides Mary Ann in the back of her mind always wanted a level of deniability.  She was not there looking for another woman to have sex with, it just happens every so often!  Never wanting to be too forward on the chance she had misread a clue or interest in talking to her.  Fighting the awkward impulses, taking moving closer as a sign of interest but it may have been the woman was simply moving so someone else could pass.  She listened for those hints of interest, never sure exactly what the hint would be.  But all the time she kept telling herself that was not what she wanted.  But the reality was it always seemed more natural to her to be with another woman then a man.

****

Saturday, 5/29/10, Public Square

The Progression of a Society

Of late, there has been a great deal of talk about the intent of the Founding Fathers of our country, particularly as it relates to the Constitution. To some, the Fathers were infallible and divinely inspired.

While I have great admiration and am grateful that those Patriots brought to birth our nation, I do not share in the deification of the Founding Fathers. When this nation was born, women were still second class citizens and non-whites weren’t even citizens at all. Slavery and the genocide of the Native Americans were the law of the land. All men were not created equal.

The progression of a society is a slow process and sometimes that progression is accompanied by violence and even war.  Some of the progress is prompted by court decision, other by courageous and principled legislative activity and more yet by seminal changes in attitudes within society.

Sometimes, the leadership that is required to facilitate progress is not recognized as such at the time. Today, we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr., but in the Sixties, he was vilified by a good portion of society. The FBI had an extensive file on him and many were convinced that he was a communist. MLK did not change – society’s attitude towards him changed.

Most take for granted the progression of society wrought by the Civil Rights Movement, but that progression came with a horrible price tag and virtually split the country in half once again.

It is said that opposition to Gay Rights is the last “acceptable” form of bigotry.  I feel for those that are hurt by the lack of progress towards equality for our gay brothers and sisters, but I also remember that it was just a half century ago that racial discrimination was rampant.

That is scant consolation for those damaged by sexual orientation discrimination, but with time comes progress and time is greatly compressed in this age of high speed communication. I am not preaching patience, I am preaching hope.

The day will come when, truly, all men and women are created equal.

William Stephenson Clark

Friday, 5/28/10, Public Square

Midgets, Molly, Men and Bit of Fun

“The only difference between men and boys is the size of their shoes and the price of their toys.” – Anonymous.

The world has been a bit crazy of late. Wars, famine, destruction, earthquakes and oil gushing in the Gulf. In North Korea, we have a deranged midget rattlin’ sabers and in Iran, another midget that is just a doofus.  Right here at home, Tea Baggers are runnin’ ’round acting like they are the only true patriots, and we have a bunch of political critters that have obviously missed their “grown up” pills for quite some time.

“I still believe in Hope – mostly because there’s no such place as Fingers Crossed, Arkansas.” – Molly Ivins.

The above doesn’t add anything to the story, I just like Molly Ivins.

So, rather than discuss the weighty issues of the world today, let’s just have some fun and talk about a subject near and dear to me  – toys.

The opening quote of this column is a commentary on men, but the same applies to women, as well. Don’t try to kid yourself.

Feel free to talk about shoes if that is the subject near and dear to you!

Well, for me, I wear a size nine and I have expensive tastes in toys. As I bang this column out, I am surrounded by mega-bucks worth of photographic gear in my office.  I pretend that I am going to make a good living with it one of these days, but that doesn’t explain why I periodically just pick up my camera and hold it, stroking my hands over it like it was a magic lamp and a genie is going to pop out and grant me three wishes.

In the past, my toys were quite expensive and slightly dangerous – Harley Davidson motorcycles. You can’t just “buy” a Harley. Once you own one, you have to spend beau coup bucks for chrome doodads, performance parts, custom paint and all that.

So, my demented blogging friends, what are your toys and why?

One more for the road………………………………..

“In Texas, we do not hold high expectations for the [governor’s] office; it’s mostly been occupied by crooks, dorks and the comatose.” – Molly Ivins.

U.S. on Pace to End Iraq War

More than seven years after it began, the end may be near for the Iraq war. According to Vice President Joe Biden, who is managing the withdrawal, the administration’s goal of removing all combat forces by August is proceeding as planned. But Iraqi leaders have yet to form a government close to three months after a contentious election and violence is still simmering, raising the possibility that the situation could deteriorate. “It’s going to be painful; there’s going to be ups and downs,” Biden told the Washington Post. “But I do think the end result is going to be that we’re going to be able to keep our commitment.” Experts say that the drawdown is especially crucial given the escalating conflict in Afghanistan, which is seeing a surge in U.S. troops.

Thursday, 5/27/10, Public Square

On the whole human beings want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time.  —  George Orwell

The Outer Limits……. and Bears…….

“For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to… The Outer Limits.”

“The Outer Limits” was a respected, but short-lived, science fiction television program from the early Sixties.  Most episodes featured a “bear,” a monster of some sort, that provided the focal point for the show.

Our current political/social landscape has it’s own elements of “the Outer Limits.” Both sides, Right and Left, create their own “bears” to drive their ideological agendas. For the GOP, Tea Baggers and Libertarians the “bear” is the Federal Government. For Democrats and progressives, the “bear” is largely Corporations and Christian-driven social agendas.

Granted, the previous statement is a gross over-simplification, but the point is made.  There are elements on all sides that push the limits by demonizing the institution or ideology that fuels their ire.

Currently, their is a war within the Republican Party that threatens to purge even slightly moderate members and to be seen even in the least bit willing to work with Democrats is a virtual death warrant.

To their credit, Democrats are much less ideologically driven, but we have our own “lunatic fringe” that can’t support any semblance of compromise. To be sure, some issues, Gay Rights for example, have no room for compromise, but not all issues are quite so clearly defined.

“Politics is a process by which groups of people make  collective decisions.”

The above is the definition of politics from Wiki.

Well, do you see room for compromise on some issues, if so, what are they? Do you have your own personal “bear” or “bears” and what are they?

William Stephenson Clark

Wednesday, 5/26/10, Public Square

There’s no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you.  —  Will Rogers

I Wash My Hands………………….

“And I was ’round when Jesus Christ
Had His moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate”

“Sympathy for the Devil” – The Rolling Stones – Jagger/Richards

“I just go BERSERK!” – Billy Jack, from the movie of the same name, just before he kicks some serious townsfolk ass.

Well, I am an amiable person, maybe, but after a bit you do just go berserk. I am talking about the mindset of some on the Right that feels any comment, criticism or acknowledgement of anything that the Republicans may have done and specifically the actions or failures of the Bush Administration are “looking at the past.”

Sorry, my friends on the Right, but you don’t get to just wash your hands of what your party did when they held the reins of power.

Our President inherited two wars, an epic collapse of our economy that threatened the global economy in a manner that could have brought on another Great Depression and a multitude of other issues.

What we get from the Rights is:

You can’t look at the past.

Who is in charge now?

What has Obama (and the Democrats) done to fix it?

I didn’t support George W Bush!

Well, somebody voted for Bush and the Republicans that held power. A few short years ago, you were singing the praises of GWB and condemning all criticism of him as being “anti-American.”

This is a bit of a rant, I admit, but what are your thoughts, my fellow low-life, Bush hating, socialists here at Pop Blog?

William Stephenson Clark

Tuesday, 5/25/10, Public Square