It is time to Fight

Don’t you remember? It has been sixteen years. So I understand if you don’t. In a way, we as a people have had it good. Damn good. Yes, there has been struggle, no denying that.  Yet, Barack and Beautiful Michelle have helped us created more equality, and kindness in the world.  Now it has all changed. 

But, think back to the year 2000. Sixteen years ago when the popular vote went to an environmentaly focused inclusive candidate, but the White House went to Bush. A wave of sorrow swept the land and evangelical hate filled specialty groups moved in to influence the President and American doctrine. I distinctly remember the same wave of defeat that this week has brought to us. Trump, with a potato sack full of segregationist and right-wing hate groups ready to push back common sense and equality. Trump’s winning is just like when Bush came to power. But, now the self-centered and self-interested groups that are, right now, ready to take the wheel and push back the country to a segregation and white-Christian past,  are more powerful. 

The one thing that I remember clearly about sixteen years ago was that after Bush set his Neo-conservative agenda, we also began to mobilize. Now is the time. As the advocates of hate began to tool up and weaponize,  gaining power and influence; We too must advance.  It is a battle of faith. Of words. Of ideas. We have proven our skill in the 2000’s fighting against the far right wing. We have a proven track record and equality is on our side. Having Obama in the White house, we proved that fairness and racial equality raises us as a people. We have this to prove our justification. 

Can you feel it? The call to fight. A fight not with fists, but words. “If you join us, you are welcome to stay and we will all work together to ensure our survival. I understand if you feel you can’t. But as for us, we are going to fight. We will begin training immediately…” Jennifer Outwater. 

Nine Years of StevieB

Today marks the ninth anniversary for the Nice To See StevieB blog.  This means you’ve been subjected to nine years of my teenage girl angst.  I’m a large bear with a raging teenage girl trapped inside. A teenage drama queen that needed to write in her online diary. Nine years of documenting the ups and downs of your average gay bear. Although I deny that cliche title. As I’m truly an otter trapped in a bear’s body.  

But, damn! nine years. I first began blogging via the electronic means, recently invented, of MySpace. Seriously. I quickly noticed other bloggers using blogger.com and hopped on the bandwagon. I sat at my Apple G4 Power Mac on November 11, 2007, and began to online diary. 

So here we are; nine years of me, rambling on. And on. Let’s see what happens next. 

When They Go Low

I'm sure you don't need to read my take on the 2016 election cycle. Americans are overwhelmed with adds, speeches, and propaganda. I for one; have isolated myself from the daily tsunami of information. What we cannot isolate ourselves from, it seems, this year, is the vile, defeating, and degrading hatred that has attached to this year's elections. All civil discourse has been distroyed. 

To quote Michelle Obama, "When they go low, we go high." And, as most mature adults find out, seems to work. Most of the time. But, the lowbrow slander and lies, seem neverending. 

No one will ever be moved to your way of thinking by posting negative slander on your Facebook page. So, why do it? Spreading negativity in the world must be a symptom of self-hate. So you hate Hilllary Clinton... I hate your hairstyle. How does that detente improve anything? Just move forward feeling what you feel. But, know that others, like me, feel differently.