Lest we congratulate ourselves too much it’s also important to thoughtfully consider and criticize the ways that we are stunted and morally retarded. It is amazing to me that in the age of reason we still haven’t made up our minds in our social discourse over whether or not homosexuals should have equal rights. Let’s consider some facts and some opinions.

Although the American Psychological Association makes it clear that the longstanding consensus of the behavioral and social sciences and the health and mental professions is that homosexuality is a normal and positive variation of human sexual orientation, some people still seem to think that it is a mental disorder. Although homosexuality can be observed in nature (lions, pigeons, giraffes, bison, elephants, gulls, bonobos, dragonflies, sheep, dolphin, just to name a few) some people still consider it a dysfunctional CHOICE. Although study after study shows that there is an equal level of commitment and relationship satisfaction amongst both gay and heterosexual couples, some people still think that homosexuals are incapable of having healthy and lasting relationships. Although studies show that children raised by same-sex couples are just as mentally healthy as other children, some people still think that homosexuals are not fit parents. Although studies show no correlation between homosexuality and child molestation, some people still consider homosexuals a threat and a danger to children.

Are we seeing a pattern of bigotry here, folks? Two years ago in the California state elections Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment seeking to restrict the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples, actually PASSED effectively retarding the social progress of basic human rights to everyone that was ALREADY IN PLACE. In re Marriage Cases (passed in May 2008) held that “California legislative and initiative measures limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples violate the state constitutional rights of same-sex couples and may not be used to preclude same-sex couples from marrying.” This is a travesty and a huge setback for moral progress.

The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) is a non profit organization that seeks to prevent the legal recognition and acceptance of same-sex marriage. Their stated mission is to, “protect marriage and the faith communities that sustain it.” Maggie Gallagher, the group’s founder and original president, has stated that the LGBT community and specifically gay men are not capable of commiting to the “heteronormative” constraints of a monogamous relationship. Her bigotry is exposed when the above survey data indicates that between 40% – 60% of gay men are in romantic relationships and 18% – 28% of gay couples have lived together for over ten years.

NOM recently posted this video on youtube. It’s from a marriage rally in Albany, NY on July 17, 2010. This video claims that gay marriage protestors “bullied and intimidated” the mother and her kids at a peaceful marriage rally. Watch the video and then let’s talk for a minute about reality and false victimization.

Mother and Children Bullied

1. So, let me get this straight. Protestors simply stood silently in front of this woman and her family with rainbow colored flags and signs “about their agenda.” They participated in non-violent, perfectly constitutional protest. This is bullying and intimidation? Of course the cops were called. But after speaking briefly with the organizer of the pro-gay marriage protest they let them stay. Why? Because they have every fucking right to. You cannot call someone a bully for disagreeing with your bigotry. Got it?

2. Using her children in a ploy for false victimization is disgusting. Her kids have no idea why they are there and will, unfortunately, have to be TAUGHT to dehumanize gay people by their mother and her ilk.

3. She then asked the protestors to turn around so she could publically expose her breasts. When some of them refused she actually believed that this made her a victim. She goes into the public square and demands that everyone else give her privacy so she can expose herself? Stellar logic.

4. She claims that their goal was to intimidate her children. This is false. The goal was to consitutionally protest a meeting that propogates bigotry and the subversion of basic human rights. It’s funny because when I think about intimidation and bullying I tend to think about, oh I don’t know, the bible saying that homosexuals should be stoned to death. Maybe we just have subjective differences in our definition of bullying. I wonder if Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, the eleven year old boy who hung himself last year because of anti-gay harrassment, would agree that standing quietly with rainbow umbrellas rises to the same level of intimidation as what led him to his death.

5. Here is the most frustrating thing for me. This woman is at a NOM rally which is all about protecting what? Oh, that’s right. Traditional marriage and family values. I’m no expert on nationality but it seems pretty clear to me that this woman has latino heritage. Two of her children look black and her husband is literally as white as they come. This is hardly a traditional family, wouldn’t you say? I mean. Go back just FIFTY YEARS and consider the implication of interracial marriage and interracial children. Just think about that for a second. By dehumanizing homosexuals this woman is putting herself at odds with the very progress of human rights and dignity that allow her the freedom to have her obviously untraditional family.

This is not progress. We are moving backwards on this issue. We cannot allow people like this one to create a culture of false victimization. This is not an isolated issue. Perry vs. Schwarzenegger, the federal court challenge to Proposition 8, implemented a block broadcast of the trial. Why? Because the publicity could potentially lead to the harrassment of proponents of Proposition 8 by those who don’t agree with them. Michael Hefflinger sarcastically notes:

Because, let’s face it: the straight folks who worked so hard and gave so much money to see Prop. 8 passed — and not gay and lesbian Californians — were the real victims during the campaign. It’s the straights who have suffered greatly since Prop. 8’s passage, and they are the ones who should be spared any further grief.

We can stop this madness. Bigotry will not survive in the marketplace of ideas, friends. Here’s to standing together for human dignity and the freedom and pursuit of happiness for all human beings.

In reason,

Clint Wells

“Thus far efforts made by mortals to try to solve the crisis have been to no avail. It is clearly time for a miracle for us.”

It is a testament to our great infancy as an intelligent species that in the era of modern science, the age of reason and enlightenment, state senators and even President Obama (for crying out loud) actually consider speaking to an invisible deity a reasonable solution for this horrendous calamity. Perhaps these politicians are simply appealing to the American majority of evangelical Christians and do not, in fact, consider prayer a reasonable course of action. No matter. The fact that they have to appeal to such nonsense to secure their offices by a majority democratic vote is enough reason to be alarmed.

In my essay Prayer, Science and Haiti I made a strong case, using observed evidence, for the utter ineffectiveness of prayer. I won’t elaborate any further on that as it is scientifically uncontested. Look it up yourself.

This is what really pisses me off about praying for the oil spill: While the pious are kneeling before an imaginary god wishing for a miracle, someone is working around the clock to actually solve the problem. When they do solve the problem it will be because of the ingenuity of that person (or team of people) and it will be implemented using tools and methods derived solely from science. But what will the religious community say? They will shout to the heavens about how GOD answered their prayers! They’ll talk about the futile efforts of man and how good GOD is to have heard their fledgling petitions. They will completely ignore the fact that GOD could have easily prevented the oil spill in the first place or plugged the hole with a divine horde of angels, thereby saving the lives of countless animals and protecting America from another devastating economic blow.

And here is the truly remarkable thing. What will the religious community say if the day of prayer does not have any effect on the oil spill whatsoever (as observable reality suggests)? Well, of course they will say that GOD’s will is mysterious and that it is probably for the good of our national character, even though our minds are too puny to comprehend it. They might say it’s the work of the devil in the eternal battle for good and evil. More likely, they will blame it on the gays, blacks, Jews, democrats or really any demographic they do not belong to. One thing they will certainly not do, my friends, is reflect on whether or not it was a complete waste of time. They certainly will not wonder if GOD really exists or not.

Why should they? After all everyone has at least one story of baffling circumstantial coincidence. Maybe you were about to file bankruptcy and a relative died leaving you an inheritance. Maybe you struck out every time you were up to bat except for the one time the bases were loaded. Maybe you survived a car crash without a scratch. Maybe your relative’s cancer went into remission. And so on and so forth. I’ve had moments like these. We all have.

But if we’re really honest we’ve had A LOT more moments when these things did not pan out. We’ve prayed for LOTS of things that never happened. After all, every basketball game ends confirming the prayers of one side and ignoring the prayers of the other, right? The progressive believer may say that God does not care about sporting events. Fair enough. But what about when children die of cancer? What about when families are torn apart by substance abuse? What about the Holocaust? No, the perceived answer to prayers are commonly things that would have happened naturally either way (thus compatible with laws of probability) or are results of scientific innovation (antibiotics, surgery, genetic engineering, etc.).

This is called confirmation bias or, counting the hits and ignoring the misses. Consider the incredibly ironic story of a recent lightning bolt destroying the Touchdown Jesus statue in Monroe, Ohio. Now if a lightning bolt had struck the Hustler adult store across the street from Touchdown Jesus these people would have no doubt considered that an act of GOD. A fiery judgment on fornication. But since the lighting hit Jesus square in the face they are appealing to science, blaming the sporadic nature of lightning and the metal frame that Touchdown Jesus housed under his buttery exterior. Interestingly none of them consider the lightning a judgment from Zeus, the once widely worshiped thunder god.

It may be clear to Senator Adley that we need a prayer miracle in the gulf. But it’s clear to me and any reasonable person that sitting around and talking to yourself is exactly what we DO NOT need. We need real people devising real solutions to a real problem. People think I’m angry? Well, when it comes to this issue, if you’re not angry then you’re not paying attention.

In Reason,

Clint Wells

Here’s an ad from Tim James, a Republican frontrunner. Apparently, his idea of what a large majority of Alabamians will want is discrimination against anyone who doesn’t speak English as their first language. He claims that not giving driver’s license exams in multiple languages will save the state significant amounts of money. Take a look :

Tim James : English Only

The fact of the matter is that giving driver’s license exams in Farsi, Spanish, or even American Sign Language costs the exact same amount as giving the exams in English. When you pay to take the exam, the electronic kiosk you use is the same no matter which language you speak. The system for the exams was funded by a federal grant, has been in use for years, and came with the translating software pre-installed. (A tip of the hat to leftinalabama.com for putting this information out there.)

It is not immediately obvious what is more disheartening : the fact that people will inevitably listen to this ridiculous idea in blissful ignorance and vote for this man because he claims to speak in the name of “common sense”, or the fact that we still have people in the state of Alabama who genuinely believe this nonsense… because let’s face it, without that demographic, Tim James would not make an ad of this sort. Here’s the true “common sense” : People who regularly speak a language more than they speak English are not sub-par citizens. Exams should be given in languages other than English in order to better serve people whose first language is not English.

Here’s another ad, this time from conservative Bradley Byrne. Not once in this ad does the man address anything that is relevant in politics.

No offense to the religious fundies out there, but the idea that a candidate knows he is “a creature of a creator” does not say much in terms of what he is going to do for our state. It does not, in fact, bode well at all, especially when that line of thinking has notoriously been linked with anti-gay and other hateful sentiment that will inevitably condemn certain citizens of our state to an inescapably sub-par demographic.

The fact of the matter is that religion has no place in politics. It seems that no politician can make his or her way into office without giving some sort of flowery adage to the idea that they are receiving their ideas in a direct line from “God”. We need candidate who doesn’t run his campaign on the ideas of gun ownership and church. There are bigger issues at hand.

Equally unfortunate is the fact that, in the current state of politics, the best choice must sometimes be determined not by the greater accumulation of a politician’s relative merits, but in the lesser accumulation of his or her relative evils. The politicians cleverly tailor their ads to that idea as well, attacking each other rather than actually stating what they intend to do for the good of the state and its citizens. The members of both major political parties become aggressive towards each other  rather than staying above the fray and focusing that aggression on the issues, which is what we need as a state. Here’s an attack ad put out by Democratic candidate Artur Davis against his opponent Ron Sparks :

This is singularly ridiculous. Ron Sparks has also put out his own ads counterattacking Artur Davis. Instead of saving the thousands of dollars they spend on these attack ad campaigns and putting that money back into programs which will directly benefit the state, these politicians would rather get involved in televised “he-said, she-said” wars to try to paint their opponents black. The cute thing is, once the primaries are over, one of the attack dogs will immediately change his tune and throw his full support behind the chosen candidate of his party… nevermind anything he said in his attack ads about misappropriation of funds. Apparently, all of that goes away once the party lines are established. Post-primary elections, all that will matter to anyone is whether we have a “conservative” or a “liberal” in office.

What, then,  does it all boil down to? It appears that in these times, it’s all about ignorance and showmanship. Instead of asking us what we want, they tell us what they think we want to hear and never allow us (the general citizenry) to get a word in edgewise. Both political parties are notorious for their power-hungry, prideful, prejudiced and pigheaded ways.

So tell us… what qualities would YOUR ideal candidate for governor have?

_________________________________

PS : For a quick-and-easy list of candidates, see the al.com statewide election index.

The obvious question is, “How do promote city pride here in Birmingham?” You might think that our only history is of a dirty, industrial city turned into a hotbed of racism turned into a dying urban area. The key is to take all parts of our history, even the inglorious or downright bad, and focus on the positive outcomes.

The Railroad Park, which is almost complete, is a great example of making residents aware of our past. It runs along and highlights the rail lines that slink through Birmingham. We’re a town literally founded because this area was the intersection of two major rail lines. It’s the reason we’re all here! Also, because of the terribly imbedded racism here, the arduous quest for Civil Rights was more noticeable and a lot of beautiful people in Birmingham were forced to become stronger in the face of oppression. The Civil Rights Museum is a great start in showcasing the struggles that occurred during that period, but we need more. Personally, I think Larry Langford’s greatest accomplishment was the call for a Civil Rights Trail to lead people around to the different spots where this history occurred. This should be expanded to include more sites, more shops, more southern-style or “soul food” restaurants. As we expand on these ideas more, it will be easier to identity with the city, which will in turn make more pride.

Fire Station No. 22 - from constructbirmingham.wordpress.com

Another important aspect of Birmingham is our natural treasures like rivers and forests. For these areas to remain in good condition, we must protect them. There are several organizations, like the Cahaba River Society and the Black Warrior Riverkeepers, already fighting this fight. Also, to maintain Birmingham’s way of life, we must fight to keep our air clean so our citizens can continue living healthy lives. Promoting cycling and public transit are a big part of this.

Finally, there’s our human past: people who came from Birmingham and did remarkable things in the world. We have tons of famous athletes, like Bo Jackson, from our area. Birmingham musicians, such as Sun Ra, a very important experimental jazz artist, have played their music all over the world. And even political figures, like Condi Rice, have made a name for themselves in government. We should have streets named after these people, or plaques up around town as a constant reminder of what fellow Birmingham residents have accomplished. Most importantly, we should care for our current citizens as we are the ones who will shape tomorrow. We need better education, and increased support of the arts, as well as focusing on our already great sports programs.

As more and more people begin to learn about and identify with our history, it will become obvious how we should care for the city as we move forward. And that’s what this is all about: moving Birmingham forward. First we have to ensure that we’re preserving and promoting our history so each step we take will lead to an ever-increasing sense of pride. Pride is the soul of a city. As pride grows, so will the desire to help and improve this city. This creates a feedback loop, exponentially increasing the possibilities Birmingham has in becoming a great city. The first step is changing your own mindset. Don’t focus on the negative aspects of our city, focus on the potential. The only way for this whole process to begin is by making the change within yourself and then acting accordingly. New Orleanians brought their city back from the edge of extinction and I think the residents of Birmingham can too!

The Secular Student Alliance at UAB, the Gay-Straight Student Alliance at UAB, the AAA of the University of Alabama, and members of the Birmingham Freethought Society have all united to put together what will be not a counter-protest, but a demonstration to show the power of peace, humanism, and common human decency and to show support for the grieving family. The event is scheduled to take place at Linn Park in downtown Birmingham at noon on Friday, May 7 (click the link for directions). If anyone would like to attend, the PDF descriptor of the event is shown below in this article. All are welcome to come and participate in a peaceful demonstration at the park. If anyone would like to be more directly involved with the proceedings central to the funeral, the Patriot Guard welcomes all who will come and simply raise a flag in memory of this brave soldier (their exact itinerary can be viewed here). 

This united front, presented by people from all ethnicities, political affiliations, and religious/secular ideals, shows exactly the kind of thing that can be done when petty differences are set aside so that people may reach a common humanitarian goal. We hope to see a continued outpouring of concern and good wishes for the family of Thomas E. Rivers, Jr., and we thank him for the sacrifice he made for all of us.

The family and friends of Lance Cpl. Thomas E. Rivers, Jr. are in our thoughts.

Plans for Linn Park Demonstration

Here’s some info from the event’s webpage:

Edward O. Wilson, recently called “one of the most important biological theorists since Darwin” by The New York Times, returns to Alabama for a special evening at McWane Science Center on Friday, May 7, 2010.

Born in Birmingham, Wilson felt a fascination with nature from a young age and grew up to become one of the world’s leading environmentalists, as proclaimed by Time Magazine and Audubon Magazine, in addition to winning two Pulitzer Prizes and numerous other awards, he was also called one of the “Top 25 most influential Americans” by Time Magazine.

McWane Science Center completed a new permanent exhibit, inspired by E.O. Wilson, in March 2010. The exhibit—“NatureScope”—focuses on the interrelatedness of humans and the environment and provides a base for quality environmental education programs.

One of their absolute favorite things to do on a Friday morning is to picket the funerals of US soldiers who have died while serving our country, and they will be doing just that in Birmingham this Friday, according to their website. Lance Cpl. Thomas E. Rivers, Jr., 22, of our very own Birmingham, AL, died on April 28, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province,  Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.  He was a valiant, loving, caring, and important part of his family and he left behind many people who love and miss him.

While we do not know much about him, we can hazard a guess that perhaps he himself may not have been too miffed about the church’s decision to make a mockery of his funeral; after all, he died to protect the very First Amendment right of the Westboro Baptist crowd to carry signs reading “Thank God for Dead Soldiers” and “Thank God for IEDs” to whatever funeral they choose. This does not mean, however, that the family and friends of this brave man should have to stand by and watch a group of hateful human beings acting happy or thankful about the untimely and tragic death of their brave son/brother/love/friend.

This is why we ask that you consider joining a counter-protest. As freethinkers, it is our duty to protect the rights, hearts, and minds of  everyone we can from the outlandish and disgusting diatribes of religious fundamentalists, and to spread messages of reason and peace to dispel the enmity and discord so fervently pushed by heavily religious groups. A meeting will be held tonight on the patio at Al’s Deli and Grill downtown at 7 pm to discuss ideas and strategies for the anti-Westboro/pro-Thomas E. Rivers, Jr. demonstration (click link for directions). More details will be posted after the meeting for those who cannot make it.

**UPDATE : The Patriot Guard will be present at the funeral and preceding events. They welcome everyone who would like to join; the exact itinerary of the Patriot Guard’s activities can be seen here.

The family and friends of Lance Cpl. Thomas E. Rivers, Jr. are in our thoughts.

Fact: all politicians are wooed by business people and accept gifts and meals. In Alabama, I think the per-day limit of how much can be spent on a politician is $250. That’s not a limit at all. That’s a shit-ton of money. It seems like, if we wanted to, we could we could create this media frenzy about every politician in the world. All we’d have to do is find a connection between something being given to the politician and some sort of contract or whatever going to the giver. Of course it’s wrong to accept gifts in return for political favors, but that’s how the world works. I pretend like I’m your friend ’cause I buy you clothes or take you to the strip club, and because you, the politician, think that we’re friends, you come to me when the city/county/whatever needs some work done.

The fact that in recent years the only people being called-out on this are a black mayor and a Democrat governor in Alabama kind-of seems a little suspicious to me. Remember how up-in-arms everyone was about Siegelman? Yeah… ooops.

Now, I’m glad Langford isn’t mayor because he just wasn’t a good leader and he wasn’t very smart. But I don’t necessarily believe that he deserves 15 years in the bing, unless, of course, we’re bringing every politician to justice (update: apparently AL Republican Gov. Guy Hunt was convicted for a corruption charge but only got 5 years probation). All I’m asking is that if you’re screaming “off with his head” about one crooked politician, make sure you’re doing it across the board. Otherwise you might be the pawn in someone’s political game with a hidden agenda.

What do you think?

However, what recently happened to Alabama public education should rile all Alabama citizens, regardless of political affiliation.

Recently, a law was introduced that would legalize charter schools in Alabama.

Due to the stipulations of President Obama's "Race to the Top" education funding plan, legalizing charter schools helps a state qualify for part of the $180 million available to states.

This was truly a no-brainer, more choices, more funding, win-win.

Nearly everyone who cares about education in Alabama came out in favor of the law.

For it: Birmingham News, The Alabama Policy Institute, Gov. Bob Riley, Alabama Possible, Caroline Novack of the A+ Partnership, Former Congressman Jack Edwards in the Mobile Press-Register (Hat tip for the last two to the Left in Alabama blog).

There was really just one organization that didn't like the law: the almighty Alabama
Education Association.

So how did the AEA get its way over all these concerned citizens? They bought the Alabama House Education Appropriations Committee.

Montgomery Advisor:

Last week the House Education Appropriations Committee voted 13-2 to indefinitely postpone a bill that would allow state and local school systems to start charter schools. On Wednesday, the Senate Finance and Taxation-Education Committee voted 13-4 to kill a Senate version of the legislation. The two committee votes effectively kill any chance of charter schools being used soon in Alabama.

Turns out that for eight of the 13 committee members for which I could find information, the AEA was one of the top-five biggest campaign contributors. The AEA paid tens of thousands of dollars for those "no" votes.

Progressives talk so much about the importance of democracy. What happened to the Alabama charter school law is not democracy. It is a clear example of special interest groups buying votes and usurping the authority of and thwarting the efforts of the citizens.

Here you can find each of their names. To get each one's e-mail address and phone number, just click on the name. I haven't been able to find who voted yes and no, so you might just begin by asking how they voted. Or, if someone is able to find this info, please share it in the comments.

Whether it's the AEA or the NRA, special interests shouldn't be able to buy votes like this. Let's stand up to special interests and let our elected officials know that we're paying just as much attention to the issues as the special interest groups are, and we outnumber them.

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Cathy Reisenwitz is a concerned Birmingham-area resident who blogs at http://anarcho-capitalism-blog.com/.

In our Big Red state of Alabama, I’ve heard progressives referred to as “wine-sipping elitists” more than a few times, but all too often people who want to learn more about wine have no clue where to begin their studies, that’s where I come in.

Wine is food, wine is fun, and more often than not, wine is simple. Most people have paired a great Cabernet with an awesome steak plenty of times, but what about pairing a tasty Riesling with a takeout bag full of spicy Rojo, Taj India, or in a pinch at 3AM, Taco Bell. The possibilities are endless!

In the future, I hope to tell you about ways that we can support small wineries, organic farmers, and avoid the big wine conglomerates, but for now, I’m going to start with helping you delve into the local wine scene.

Where to taste:

Most of the smaller, locally owned grocery stores and wine shops offer weekly or at least monthly wine tastings. A good way to find out when these tastings are is to check with the Wine Consultant at your local store, which brings me to my next helpful hint:

How to buy:

Always buy your wine from a locally owned wine shop or a grocery store with a Wine Consultant!

Why?

Most giant grocery stores (read: Publix, Winn-Dixie, Wal-Mart) operate off of a higher mark-up than the smaller stores, so you are actually paying more to NOT be helped by a knowledgeable human being!

A good Wine Consultant will ask you questions like:

• What style of wine do you typically drink?
• What price range do you want to stay in?
• Are you planning to pair the wine with food?

Building a relationship with your favorite Wine Consultant can help you find a friend who learns what you like, helps you find new things to try within your budget, and might even buy new things for the store just because they think you might like them!

How to learn:

The best way to learn about wine is to taste different styles, frequently. Keep a journal of wines you have tasted, making sure to try and note why you liked or disliked each particular wine. If this seems like too much trouble, just pull out your camera-phone and snap a quick picture of the bottle to remind yourself that you liked it.

If you find yourself in need of additional resources, here are a couple of books that I have found extraordinarily helpful:

• The New Wine Lover’s Companion by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst – This is a fabulous encyclopedia of wine terms, regions, grapes and just about anything you will ever want to know about wine. Not so great for sitting down and reading, but great if you just want to know something specific.
• The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil – This is by far my favorite wine book. It is colorful, bright, full of pictures, and is a surprisingly easy read.

If simple books and repetition are still not enough to satisfy your never ending thirst for knowledge, I recommend trying one of the Village Wine Market’s upcoming Basics of Wine courses. These are fun and informative classes that cost just $20 per session.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this post as much as I have enjoyed writing it. If you have any ideas for future columns or questions you would like me to take a shot at, please leave me a comment!

Andrew Brim is the Wine and Beer Consultant for the Piggly Wiggly in Mountain Brook. The Pig hosts free Wine Tastings every Thursday from 4pm to 6pm. Stop by and say hello!