Thank You, Mr. President

Perhaps I am still in a state of shock.  If anyone had asked me 5 years ago whether or not we would have a Black President in my lifetime, I would have said "I doubt it," or I would have said that "I think a White woman would get it long before a Black man (the idea of this country electing a Black woman President, is still one that I cannot envision, sadly)."  But if someone had asked me whether or not we would have a sitting President come out in favor of marriage equality (civil marriage equality), I would have said that "I would likely be a much older man, when something like that would happen." 

It was my mother who sent me a text letting me know that President Obama had come out for marriage equality, and she ended the text with a character created smile.  I was on the train returning from a business trip to Washington, when that text reached me, and I looked at it for about a minute, before I responded with, "Seriously?"  When I received her affirming second message, I fully admit that I started to tear up.  I sent a text to my cousin, who recently got engaged to his partner, letting him know this new development.  He responded back almost immediately, letting me know that he'd just heard.  I sat back in my seat, looked out onto the Virginia countryside streaming by, and just smiled.  And to be honest, it was even more profound for me that the nation's first Black President was the one to do it.  Even if he doesn't win re-election, nothing will change the fact that a sitting President came out for marriage equality.

It's been a week since this happened, and it's been fascinating watching the various reactions.  The typical "hateration" came from all of the typical corners.  However, I have to admit that I wanted to know how folks within the American Black church community would take Obama's announcement.  I fully admit to enjoying the prospect of that community trying to reconcile its love for the President with its antipathy (for the most part; there are several liberal Black church communities around the nation) for all things GLBT.  Mother's Day must have been an interesting day for sermons.  I'll also add that I think I recognize how Black folks must have felt when Sen. Kennedy called Coretta Scott King, when her husband was in prison, and when President Johnson expressed publicly why he pushed for the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act.  Those were moments when a minority felt that those in real power actually had its back.  That is precisely how it felt to me, and I am sure many, many others, last Wednesday.

Now, I've certainly not been a shrinking violet, when it came to expressing my issues with President Obama and his dealings on GLBT issues.  I've noticed that some of Obama's true opponents have worked hard to dismiss this move as one of cynical politics, but it doesn't matter.  Coming out for marriage equality is a real act of political bravery, and I appreciate it more than he could ever know.  But, I hope Obama doesn't think that with this historic move he won't be pushed to do still more.  The "Defense" of Marriage Act is still a blight on the American landscape, and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act still needs to be signed into law, just to name two things that will help to move this country forward.

But for what President Obama did a week ago, all I have to say is THANK YOU!!

"Wait, My Hero is an Atheist?"

I burst out laughing when I saw an article showing that Rep. Paul Ryan is now rejecting, rejecting, the Objectivist philosophy of Ayn Rand.  I wrote a post months ago that included video clips of an interview that Rand gave to the late Mike Wallace, and in that interview, Rand was quite explicit in explaining the tenets of Objectivism.  Classically, Ryan likely understood exactly what he wanted to understand about Rand's philosophy, with regard to the fallacy of the government assisting the least among us, while ignoring those aspects of Objectivism that he didn't like, or didn't understand.

An Old Fashioned Update

This is the first time I've actually been on my blog, since my last post on 4 March.  Four days after that post, I lost my grandmother, and I admit fully that I wanted to take time to mourn.  As I've mentioned on this blog in the past, I moved back to my hometown both to reduce my expenses as I've worked on my consultancy, as well as to help my family with the care of my grandmother.  I think I also mentioned on this blog that my grandmother was my inspiration for studying American history generally, and African American history particularly. 

I'll be writing new posts again real soon.

Good News Weekend for Out Black Gay Folks, Past and Present

After a rather trying week (a long story that I don't want to go into), I was glad to find a couple of things in the news that made me smile.  The first was an article about the Chester County (PA) Historical Society honoring Bayard Rustin in his centennial year with an exhibit highlighting Rustin's "local roots" (he was born in West Chester, PA).  The second was a Washington Post column by Jonathan Capehart explaining precisely why the Gay Right Movement and the Civil Rights Movement are related.  In many ways, Rustin represents exactly how the two movements are linked, whether folks like it or not.  He was a Black man dealing with the legal imposition of second class citizenship, while simultaneously dealing with the homophobia that was within the Civil Rights Movement.  For me, that fact lends even more credence to Capehart's column, as the new marriage equality state of Maryland faces a potential ballot initiative, and many Black pastors in the state (among others, of course) are poised to seek marriage equality's repeal.  Should marriage equality not survive the ballot initiative, it will be in part because a strong contingent within the Black community will have voted to deny a different class of people civil rights. 

How ironic, and how sad?

Finally, A Real Investigation?

When President Obama mentioned, during the SOTU, that he was calling on the Justice Department to investigate the actual causes of the "08 crash, I was both glad and skeptical.  Obviously, this was a political move by the President coming into his re-election campaign, but it was going to be one that actually makes sense (and one that should have been done, in my opinion, back in late '09/early '10).  However, I remember yelling to the television, "what about the proposed settlement that the government and the banks have been squabbling over?" 

Well, it looks like I am closer to having an answer now.  "Rolling Stone's" Matt Taibbi has been a real hero of mine, with regard to his reporting so extensively on this issue, and I just finished reading his latest post that actually addresses my concerns from Obama's move on this issue.  And like Taibbi, I am encouraged by what is being reported (h/t, Taibbi) about the narrowed scope of the potential settlement (only focusing on foreclosure fraud like robo-signing), and the fact that the banks will not get a free pass on their actions leading up to the '08 crash.

I know that there is a general sense on the right that it was poor and undeserving minorities getting loans from banks forced by the Community Reinvestment Act to lend to those folks (still not true, by the way) that "caused" our economic meltdown, but I am glad that we will have people like the New York AG Schneiderman looking directly at the the folks on Wall Street as the real culprits. 

Trying to Envision Solutions

Those who've read this blog know that I LOVE cities.  I love the energy, the noise, the conveniences, and even some of the grit (though not too much).  I love that more cities are seeing more investment and growth in their historic and commercial cores.  I particularly 24/7 cities, where there is always some solid amount of activity anytime one ventures out.

I was fascinated by an article in Slate that I read regarding Detroit, a city that has experienced incredible decline in the last several decades.  With the re-emergence of the American auto industry, people have been talking up "Detroit," but this article focused on a documentary that posits whether or not the real Detroit is a harbinger of things to come for the U.S., as we adjust to the new realities of the global marketplace.

As I watched the video clip (which I will include below), I was reminded of the things I saw when I traveled to New Orleans following the Katrina related flooding.  It's clear that Detroit, like New Orleans, needs some real comprehensive city planning.  Perhaps, Detroit could become a re-imagined city with a smaller footprint.  I think that it can be a great potential laboratory, and jobs could be created in a variety of areas as those experiments are tried and tested.  Perhaps Detroit needs a well managed overhauling, and one that the people of the city supports, as did the auto companies that have made such a comeback.

A Belated Happy New Year

Once again, I am glad to see the back of another rather tough year, and my usual optimism about the possibilities in this new year has returned.  I have to admit that I've been surprised by my neglect, if you will, of my blog, and I definitely thought hard of just copying my old posts and shutting things down.  But that's not happening today, and that's because a couple of long time readers have been nudging me not to close shop.  That nudging reminded me that I'd not taken many opportunities to say "thank you" to the small community that has read my random thoughts and perspectives over the years.  I appreciate you more than you know (including those with whom I disagree).