AliThinks

On Tea Parties

I'd heard about the Tea Party thing, because there was one in Lexington a couple of weeks ago, and the Tea Partiers were upset that our local paper didn't cover their event. I thought that the Herald-Leader probably didn't have enough reporters, seeing as how they'd just laid off a bunch of staff.

This past Saturday, Allan and I were walking around Pittsburgh's North Side Shore Side Shore, when we happened upon a Tea Party. Alan Keyes was the keynote speaker, and while we didn't stick around to hear his speech, we did get to see him dump tea (or some facsimile thereof) into the Allegheny River.

I took a few photos, which you can see here. We did hear some words from the man who organized this particular Tea Party. I didn't catch his name, but he did say that Congress passed the stimulus bill without even reading it. The crowd cheered, and I said "What about the PATRIOT Act?" No one heard me except Allan and maybe the woman with the Sarah Palin button on her hat; we were on the Roberto Clemente bridge, and the speakers were on Allegheny Landing.

And then the man said, "There are laws, laws we have to obey. Can you imagine that I had to get a permit to exercise my First Amendment rights?" The crowd cheered, and I said "Maybe because it's a question of public safety, and no one is infringing on your First Amendment rights?" He went on to say that the government was above the law. I'd say it is, because no one challenged George W. Bush's decimation of our Constitution.

I can't say I didn't understand some of the sentiments I witnessed on Saturday. I did. But most of the signs the folks were holding had me saying "Really?" à la Kyle (or Stan — I can't remember which one said it, in which episode, but it was a high-pitched, head-tilted question) from South Park.

I also can't say I'm happy about the whole stimulus thing, but I'd like to know what the opposition has in mind, and I want them to spell out how it will be better than what the Obama administration has done so far.

Let Me Just, You Know, Mark The Occasion

Woo-hoo!

It's been a long eight years.

PS: There's so much being said out there that I wanted to keep it short. :)

A Salute

I've been silent because my laptop couldn't connect to the wifi where we were staying. No matter, I was in France to be with my kids, not be on the internet.

So we did it. I cried when I turned on Sky News early Wednesday morning; they were tears of joy and pride and my kids didn't quite understand my reaction.

We did it. Yes, we did.

But despite our historic choice of president, despite overcoming deep-seated prejudice to elect an African-American man to the highest office, we still have a long way to go in the quest of equality for all.

Unless you've been under a rock the past couple of days, you'll know that Prop 8, which bans gay marriage in California, has passed. The margin was slim, 52 to 48%, I believe. Similar bans were passed in Florida and Arizona.

But those of us who believe that marriage = love, that sexual orientation doesn't and shouldn't matter, are saying "enough." I got the idea for this from AndreAnna, who got it from Swistle, who got it from Allen.

So here's what this newly-married heterosexual mother thinks about Prop 8:

Update: Catheroo has a better explanation and a better photo than I do!

Finally!

Today I get to vote!

That's all I have to say about that.

EDIT: I know Hillary Clinton is going to trounce Barack Obama in Kentucky. I am interested in seeing the geographical breakdown of the votes, though.

RE-EDIT: No surprise. Clinton takes Appalachia; Obama takes the metro areas.

Liveblogging The Super Tuesday Returns

I'm here at our local meeting of Drinking Liberally, where fifteen of us (so far) have gathered to watch the returns and have some food and drink.

Before I start blogging about this (which will be sporadic, since my view of the TV screen is obscured by a large plant, and I also plan to talk to people instead of just typing on my keyboard), let me state a few opinions about our political process:

• The electoral college really needs to go.
• All fifty states should hold the primary on the same day, so that all the candidates get a fair shot.
• It'd be great if the other political parties in the country stood a chance.

Okay, so that's not very elaborate, but there's a lot of noise and conversation here.

Just after we arrived here, CNN announced that Obama had taken Georgia.

7:41 pm: Don't know how much I'll be able to do. The connection is pretty spotty, since Lexington for Obama is also at this restaurant. The wireless network is taking a serious hit.

8:51 pm: So I ate a delicious burger with teriyaki sauce and swiss cheese. Yum. The returns so far have not been a surprise.

9:04 pm: Obama takes Delaware. I totally nailed that one.

9:10 pm: Gah! Nowhere to plug in the laptop!

9:40 pm: We are home now; the DL event was fun and loud and there were a ton of people. With the wi-fi going in and out I wasn't able to comment as things were happening. Ah well. Other people are better-suited for political commentary anyway.

10:25 pm: Huckabee is really doing this well? I fear for our country and its constitution. I mean, I didn't expect him to get any delegates.

11:22 pm: Gritting my teeth about the California returns. Edge of my seat.