Happy Birthday Harvey

Well, it's Harvey Milks Birthday! Can you imagine what Gay Culture would be like today if he was still around? Oh, He's here in mind and spirit. But with his tenacity? Things would be much more accepted as the norm. I even suspect he would have run for Governor of this great state. {California}. Maybe even won! I look back on Harvey's life and see the many years he tried to run for supervisor. Over and over. Doing it without bitter complaint of loss. Then when the win happens, he doesn't focus on gay community only. He focus's on his community. Where he lived. Gay and straight. Young and old. Now I see us today. We only want whats best for us. Better lifestyle. Better understanding in schools. Better health care. Better this and that! What about the straight couple? The one that has lived together for years and never married? The couple that can't go to the hospital and make decisions. The one who can't inherit that social security. Hmm..starting to sound familiar? I believe that Harvey would have fought for them just as hard. I believe Harvey would have said "equal rights under the law for all". Not just "Gay rights now!" See, marriage is just a piece of paper and a ceremony. {Now I know I'll step on toes here..sorry} And, yes, I understand why we need the term Marriage. As to not look like 2nd class citizens. But, I look at my 70 year old neighbors, who have never married and been together 30 years, and ask myself who fights for them? You see, I believe that Harvey would have fought for them.

Just as hard as he would have fought for us! Harvey made himself likable to the community. He accepted everyone. Now I aint saying that we do not accept everyone! I'm saying that if we fight for equal rights under the law for all, then lets include the "all". Maybe, just maybe, we could gain a little acceptance with a little love. If we want to win then we need to "Milk" the system. "Milk" it with kindness. "Milk" it with acceptance. "Milk" it with understanding. Harvey once said "It's not my victory, it's yours and yours. If a gay can win, it means there's hope that the system can work for all minorities, if we fight. We've given them hope". I want to add to that by saying "Its not our victory, it's theirs and theirs. If the gay community can win, that means there's hope that the system can and will work for all communities, if we support each other, We've given the hope".

OK to torture? God forbid I have a boy friend!

Well, this is a sticky wicket my friends. We can torture the snuff out of someone because we are at war. And, mind you I agree, a very different kind of war. We have terrorist enemies all the world over. But here is my dilemma......They do not speak English. They speak...what..Arabic? Farsi? Maybe some speak the languages of Somalia and other foreign countries? Now, you have translators and interpreters. What do you do if they can't do their job? The can't do the job that YOU hired them to do. Up till now they have done a damn good job. You do the torture and we [as an interpreter{ just the devils advocate}] tell you what he is screaming. But I'm not there to tell you. In fact, many of us are gone. Why, you ask? Hmmmmm....been discharged all of the sudden. I've been an integral part of this war on terror. Helped you get tons of information. Water boarded for you. Electric shocked for you. Made them stand for hours. Just so you could get useful information. But....GOD FORBID I have a boyfriend!!! After all this and that, fired for my personal freedoms. I can twist the hell out of someone for you so my country can be safe and free, yet I can't enjoy those freedoms for myself? What happened to my Commander-in-Chief?He promised to repeal DADT. That's "Don't ask, Don't tell" for those of you who do not like abbreviations. In his stump speeches he says DADT is wrong for the country. Now? He won't even stand up for us as soldiers and intervene. What happened to the man? Why do politicians claim to have Christian Morals yet they lie constantly. Lie to get what they want. Lie to have their own way. Now I'll say that I voted for the man. I like his policies in general. And, I suppose, I really like him as a person. I understand he's from Chicago. A city with tons of corruption. [How many years have the Daleys been in charge?] I'm sure some of that has rubbed off. I'm sure that he grew up in a culture that had an objection to the gay man. [ Afro American Male]. And that has rubbed off also. But come on Mr. President! The men and women who have served you so well deserve more. The soldier that made it possible for black students to enter a high school. The soldier that fought to eradicate Nazi-ism. The soldier that fought Communism in Korea. The soldier that fought Viet Nam. The soldier in the Balkans. The soldier in Grenada. The soldier in Desert Storm. The soldier in the Civil war. The Revolutionary soldier. The charge up San Juan Hill. They all deserve more. They are good enough to fight and die for you, sir. Fight and die so you can finally become the President of the United States. You claim DADT is immoral yet, you won't stand up for soldier Choi who was recently discharged from Military service in Guantanamo? The man who served this country. Who, daily, protected us! Who kept us safe so we can enjoy the freedoms of this country! He can't enjoy those freedoms now, himself? You know that piece of paper he has defended? Hmmmm..I think it's called the Constitution? The same one you oathed to uphold? " All men are created equal. and they are endowed with certain unalienable rights. The rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." I guess that doesn't include the American Soldier. The right to defend and possibly die but, GOD FORBID! Do not love whom you want! You do not have, and are not covered by, the Founding Fathers words that your Revolutionary Soldier brothers fought to defend. Mr. President, just once I would like to see a man stand up for what he believes and does what he says he will do, no matter what the outcome or the consequences. The 10 percent of us would like to enjoy those freedoms also, sir. I pray daily that we are kept safe. That another 9/11 does not occur. But, GOD FORBID! I have a boyfriend!