This morning the Senate overwhelmingly voted to pass the historic Matthew Shepard Act, expanding federal hate crimes protection to include sexual orientation. The vote was 60 for, 39 against.
I’m sure you recall the young man for whom the act is named. Matthew Shepard was only 21 when two men brutally beat him to death simply because he was gay.
I had an opportunity recently to watch a demonstration of the $400,000 ‘Shotspotter’ technology that the Mayor wants to bring to Jackson. Essentially, Shotspotter is a network of surveillance cameras and microphones that are supposed to detect the location of nearby gunfire. When a gun is fired, the microphones ‘triangulate’ the shot's origin, coordinates are sent to the Jackson Police Department, and Shotspotter surveillance cameras swivel to video the location.
Judging by the ... read on »
There’s not much to say about Ann Coulter calling former Democratic Senator John Edwards a "faggot" when she was addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference last Friday. That sort of thing one expects from Coulter. She’s like a wan Andrew Dice Clay. Hideous bigotry is just part of the show that people expect when they attend her speeches and read her books.
More interesting to me is John Edwards’ act of being offended. Yes, he should condemn Coulter’s comment, but let’s not ... read on »
In Dale Danks’ letter telling Kim Wade to retract his petition for removal, Danks calls Wade’s petition “Frivolous,” harassing” and “vexatious”. Danks’ letter (PDF, 300KB) further (mis)characterizes Wade’s petition as “without substantial justification, interposed for harassment," and having "no realistic hope for success."
Did you catch the Super Bowl Snickers commercial? I didn’t see it, but all day I’ve been following the anger it’s generating among gays and lesbians around the country. Frankly, I don’t even care about football. But outrage over thoughtless, anti-gay advertising? That’s worth watching.
The ad shows two grimy, blue-collar men working on a car together. One takes out a Snickers, and then both men begin eating different ends of the candy bar until their lips touch. It’s like the Lady and the ... read on »
"So keep fightin' for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don't you forget to have fun doin' it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce. And when you get through kickin' ass and celebratin' the sheer joy of a good fight, be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was." ~Molly Ivins
I believe I will be praying more now that Molly Ivins has died. I imagine she's writing up articles now that ... read on »
Telling people that I’m gay isn’t a big deal for me anymore. I mention it when it’s relevant, and if someone’s shocked or offended, the most I usually tell him is to get over it and welcome to the human race. But when the news broke last week that two Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics officers were sentenced to mere house arrest for brutally assaulting two gay men, I was reminded that coming out publicly is still a profoundly important act—especially in Mississippi.
Coming out means becoming ... read on »
As every student of history knows, most of humanity’s governments have been led by men who believed their authority derived from a “Divine Right of Kings.” The rule of law did not exist, as "law" was simply whatever the king felt suited his purposes.
One revolution and a couple hundred years later, Richard Nixon proved that even constitutional republics aren’t immune to imperial leaders. “When the president does it,” he explained, “that means it is not illegal”.
In Jackson, our own ... read on »
The controversy surrounding the video of Saddam Hussein's hanging holds a lesson for us here in Jackson. You'll notice that while the civilized world is outraged by the way Hussein was hanged, Iraqi officials are more outraged that someone videoed the hanging and thereby exposed their cruel methods. They have vowed to find and prosecute the scoundrels who exposed them to the world! Governments simply hate transparency, for it leads to accountability.
Some of our government officials in ... read on »
Tonight, the City is hosting a dinner for Jackson's homeless. It's a gift to that population the city insulted and injured the rest of this year. It reminds me of the gifts the Wise Men took to Bethlehem. There they found a homeless, hungry, freezing child. Did they give the child and his family a home, food and clothes? No; they gave gold, frankincense and myrrh. All symbolic gifts--which made the Wise Men very proud, but did very little for the neediest in that manger that night.
What ... read on »
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:: jackblog recent comments
Jul 24, 2008Do I hear 15? Yes, we can!
Kacy: Just put a donation in the mail a moment ago. Hope it helps!
Jul 24, 2008
Brett Favre - Make up Your Mind
Queen601: OK, brett's still causing a bit of a stir...see below...and please someone tell me what this guy is thinking…
Jul 24, 2008
Senseless Smoking Ban
L.W.: Oh yeah, be sure to watch the PSAs. Hilarious.
Jul 24, 2008
Senseless Smoking Ban
L.W.: I saw this on TV and thought about this thread: dontpassgas.org.
Jul 24, 2008
Carp Chomp on Crusty Calluses
L.W.: Piranhas, huh? Try it out and let me know how it went, Walt. LOL
Jul 24, 2008
Carp Chomp on Crusty Calluses
Walt: This is weak. I don't expect it to do well. Why not use real fish such as pirahnas? This way they…
Jul 24, 2008
Carp Chomp on Crusty Calluses
ellen: I think I will pass! :-)
Jul 23, 2008
An Open Letter to Jackson: The Old, Next, and Now Generations
mssweetie: Since the posting of this blog, what's the status of New Jackson, now?
Jul 22, 2008
No shortage of things to do!
ladd: I'm so glad the summer has been so good for you, Natalie. Our intern class has just been incredible; I…
Jul 18, 2008
Da' T.R.U.T.H. and Nothing But Da' T.R.U.T.H.
L.W.: Sure thing, Walt. ;-)