hating miss cali, corporations deserve no role in policy, and when drug reform is accepted...

perez hilton, that bastion of respectable journalism, has his manties in a bunch because miss california answered his question honestly...only not the answer he wanted to hear. and suddenly all sorts are raising their pitchforks and torches and clamoring for a resignation at best, or an actual tar and feathering at worst. and once again, I am reminded exactly how not to move forward...how not to bring about the types of advances and changes you hope for - get pissed off and spew hatred at poor ignorant fools that just don't get it.

if you actually bothered to listen to her 30 second response to whether or not she supports gay marriage rights you understand that she is not the enemy to be fought with vitriol...that should be reserved for dobson and his ilk (side note - thank the lord dobson is finally focusing on his own damn family...which is a complete fucking disaster from what I hear). this is basically what she said: "I like to think I respect people and whatever is left of the democratic process. but my mommy and daddy also taught me that just because everybody likes dick does not mean that everybody should get dick." there was no hatred in it, there wasn't even any fucking knowledge in it...it was a prime example of plain and simple ignorance. here is person that likely is unaware that they have ever known someone that is gay. here is a person that likely has no idea what the marriage issue actually means to gays. and so here is a person that can likely be won over with some simple understanding and experience. and yet we respond by trashing her at every opportunity...assuring that not only will she become so deadset in her ways and full of resentment that she will forever fight against equal rights for gays, but that many in her position will as well. so mr. hilton, do us all a favor and shut the fuck up. if you aren't going to do any of the heavy lifting anyways, get the fuck out of the way.

somehow, as good capitalist sheep, we accepted that corporations are people (hilarious) and that corporations have a conscience (because we all know made-up entities also contain made-up hearts that feel made-up empathy). and so, at the behest of the right-wing nutjob race, we accepted that they know what it is best and that they deserve a seat at the table in policy arguments. because if its good for business its good for america. except that whats good for business is making as much money as possible at the expense of as many people as possible...so basically, whats good for business is good for business and thats it. if you happen to be the business...fantastic. if you happen to be the other 95% of the populace...then you're apparently just an atm anyways.

and so we allowed them to take over the debate as to intelligent use of energy and issues associated with environmental degredation. and guess what...they lied to protect their profit. imagine that...a corporation being concerned with the bottom line above all else. who would've thunk it. and now we learn that all those "scientists" that the right-wing establishment relied upon to justify to some fool his driving of a behemoth of a vehicle with no legitimate purpose and our spewing of as much crap into the air as we could because doing otherwise would kill the economy (which is humming along just fine thank you) simply don't exist. we learn that while industry scientists are screaming behind the scenes "you are lying to people. you simply cannot refute that human activity is drastically altering the climate and we are fucking ourselves right in the ass" they are running around the halls of congress and the white house participating in policy-making based on the lies their own scientists refuted.

when will we learn? when will we accept what the nation's founders took for granted: that a business is not human. when will we accept what the first teabaggers were trying to tell us: that government is supposed to protect the people from soulless money-hungry made-up phantom entities, not give them the reach-around.

the feds are asking for a five year sentence for a medical marijuana distributor from california. of course it had to go federal because his actions were completely legal under state law. and despite holder's promises not to go after these people, apparently that doesn't include anyone that got caught up in the pyschotic frenzy of the bush justice department. this. is. insanity. but I see a light on the horizon...I see a time when we will accept that the "war" on drugs is a complete fucking waste of our time and money...

unfortunately, I don't see it showing up until bodies are hanging from the expressways in phoenix. it is easy for us to ignore the incredible downside of our obsession with drugs when we can hide it behind bars and south of the border (not to mention when the worst of it is reserved for "those" people). except that nastiness has decided not to stay hidden anymore and its moving into john mccain's backyard. we've made a billionaire out of a cartel boss...and we've turned mexico into a surreal beyond thunderdome experience. and now mad max is coming to the states...where a bunch of crackers love to settle. and finally, when that happens, and we can't hide it anymore, we'll decide that pissing money away so that neighbor joe can be kidnapped for ransom and his headless body appear on the lawn isn't such a good idea afterall...

today was supposed to be not just another day...