On The Basis of Sex

I went to see the movie On The Basis of Sex   today.  If you are not familiar with it, it is the story of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in her early years, and her legal fight, with others, to eliminate the legal discrimination by sex (gender) allowed in the United States.  It is a good story, a good movie, well worth seeing if you have not.  I never did appreciate Justice Ginsburg as much as I should have.  It is sad that she has been treated for cancer recently, and unable to attend Supreme Court sessions, although she has kept up with the hearings by reports, and able to render her opinions. She has made a profound impact on this country, one that I am grateful she made.  

I have not yet been a Nike customer.  I am a 65 year old Anglo woman who likes football, civil rights, and comfortable shoes, among other things.  I am so pleased to learn the Nike has included  Colin Kaepernick in their latest ad campaign.  I believe in the US Constitution, however imperfect a document it is.  I believe in the Bill of Rights, with the First Amendment in place where it should be:  First, protecting freedom of speech.  I believe that Colin Kaepernick was well within his right to freedom of speech in calling attention to racism, social injustice and police brutality to people of color. His kneeling during the "Star Spangled Banner"  was a respectful act of protest, and whether you are for or against his actions, he propelled this nation to a much needed dialogue about how we treat people in this country who are different from "the white privileged."  I applaud Mr. Kaepernick for his courage, and now I applaud Nike for their courage, and their awareness that Freedom of Speech, is still alive and well in the United States.

Hmmm, an interesting commentary from the star of "The Free State of Jones."  http://www.mystatesman.com/news/entertainment/movies/matthew-mcconaughey-talks-getting-into-free-state-/nrmRR/?ecmp=newspaper_email/.

This movie was not uplifting or a feel good movie, but it was sad and depressing. My problem with the reaction to the movie is some folks I know have said "I was not a part of what happened back then, why are you reacting this way now." These people do not get it. I was trying to explain to a coworker that this same kind of segregation and discrimination continues today. She did not see it.  She has no idea what white privilege is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_privilege. I challenged her:  Is there one bank in East Lubbock, yet look at the development in Southwest Lubbock. She could not answer.

I have lived in Lubboc since 1977k, and realize I have not done what I need to do to advance equality (gender, sexual, racial) during that time.  Pope Francis says, first we pray, then we act.  Hmmm.

Shakti

In April, when I went to the Lubbock Arts Festival, I met the two girls, Yashvi and Anisha who were producing the Shakti Ballet https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Shakti%20Lubbockon May 21 2016 at the Lubbock Cooper High School Performing Arts Center. Their intent was to use a school project and change it into a social justice project: They started a ballet school, and produced a show highlighting human trafficking in Lubbock and in India.  The wanted to raise funds for 2 agencies, in each part of the world, to help combat human trafficking. I was not sure I wanted to attend.  I am not a ballet kind of person. I decided to buy a ticket to support their cause. 

A couple of weeks later, I could not find the ticket.  That made me decide I really did want to see the ballet.  I went last night.  It was obvious that the girls had a lot of family support and support of the Indian community in the West Texas area.  I think that was a wonderful part of their show:  They reached out to a large community, their community, and got support.  There were a lot of people there: the audience members were of many ethnic backgrounds.  It was good to see their efforts, and how successful they were.

And the ballet was good too.  It was supposed to be Indian Ballet.  I do not know ballet.  But it was entertaining.

In Support of Bernie Sanders

I have to promote this http://reverbpress.com/politics/biblical-argument-for-bernie-sanders/ a religious conservative being a political liberal supporting Bernie Sanders. He is right, Bernie Sanders is declaring justice for the poor, and good news for the least among us.  This is great. This is what we are all called to do. 

Yeah! For South Carolina

Today, the State of South Carolina showed itself as a state looking to the future. After emotional and somewhat heated debate, the bill was passed that allowed for the Confederate Flag "Stars and Bars" to be taken down from the capitol property in Columbia,  SC, and placed in a museum on the capitol property http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/south-carolina-confederate-flag_559e0307e4b05b1d028fb690?ir=Politics&section=politics&utm_campaign=070915&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Alert-politics&utm_content=FullStory&ncid=newsltushpmg00000003.  Governor Nikki Haley had promised to sign the bill quickly.  And, she did.  http://www.kcbd.com/story/29510871/south-carolina-governor-confederate-flag-comes-down-friday.  The best thing, in my mind, that although the flag is going to be relegated to a Civil War "relic room," there will be a ceremony that will treat the flag with dignity and honor. 

Why is this good?  Because although the flag's symbolism is mixed: "hatred vs. heritage" a ceremony to lay it to rest honors all:  It honors those for whom the flag symbolizes the heritage and the history of their family.  A ceremony also can be a rite of passage for those who view the flag as a symbol of hatred: A rite of passage ending an era of hate and racism, and starting a new era of forward thinking, future looking, respect and dignity embracing, inclusive and accepting people. 

It is symbolic that South Carolina leads the way: it lead the way into the Civil War.  It can now lead the way into a new era of compassion, acceptance and unity.  South Carolina has a burden to bear: to continue to move forward with inclusion, acceptance, equality, dignity, respect. 

What an outcome from an act of hate.

Texas Attorney General and the Supreme Court Ruling on Same Sex Marriage

I was waiting for something like this:  The Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton has said the county clerks can refuse to issue  a marriage license for same sex couples, and judges and justices of the peace can refuse to marry same sex couples http://www.chron.com/news/politics/texas/article/Texas-AG-tells-clerks-judges-to-flout-Supreme-6354467.php.  I am not surprised that AG Paxton took the chicken shit (pardon my language) route of saying clerks may be fined or sued, and there are attorneys willing to provide legal services for them, on a pro-bono basis, if need be.  Chicken shit, because he did not even have the guts to say "And the Texas Attorney General's office will provide you with legal representation." 

Paxton also used the lame excuse that there are others, deputies and clergy, who can perform same sex marriages.  So, he knows the Supreme Court ruling is binding, he is just looking for a way to thumb his nose at the decision (and be disrespectful to the United States Supreme Court.) However, I think he is just showing his stupidity and small-mindedness.

To my way of thinking, the Travis County Clerk, Dana Debeauvoir, has a better understanding of the Untied States Constitution.  And she certainly has a better understanding of her role as county clerk than AG Paxton.

Woman in Gold

Before it was released, I said I wanted to see the movie Woman in Gold http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2404425/.  I even put aside an afternoon on my vacation to see it.  That was the day severe thunderstorms moved into Lubbock, and Lubbock flooded, including in the area of the movie theater where this movie was playing, and I stayed home to stay out of the hail, without realizing the flooding would be more of a problem.

Was it last week, or the week before, that someone told me I need to get to the theater to see the movie or else it will be gone?  But I kept procrastinating.  Last night, I went to see the Drum Corps International season premier at the same movie theater where Woman in Gold is still playing.  I had planned to go to the pool tonight, but decided to opt for going to see the movie instead.  I am not sure, but I think Friday is the day they change movies in Lubbock. And, there were some storms in the area. I do not know if they closed the pool or not, but I opted for the movie. The forecast was the storms would not be severe, and if there was hail, it would be below the quarter-sized hail that causes problems.  The clouds were ominous but I believed the weather forecasters.

My past movie going history is that I usually attend movies on the weekends.  I was amazed last night at how few cars were in the parking lot.  There were even fewer in the parking lot tonight, so movie going must be a weekend activity. 

Well, I think I made the right choice.  I was the only person in the theater until about 5 minutes before the movie started.  A couple came in.  About 10 minutes or so after the start of the movie, 2 women came in. I was sitting in the first row, middle of the row, going up from the entry ramp. These women came in, sat right next to me, and took out the food they smuggled into the theater.

We shared laughter and comments during the movie, and sat through the credits. The woman sitting next to me thanked me for being a good sport.  I was not impressed:  Not only did the two women talk a lot during the movie (about the movie and not about the movie), the woman next to me took out her cell phone several times, and clicked calls off.  If she was not going to take calls, why didn't she silence her phone or shut it off? Or was she waiting for some specific call?.  I told them I thought it was a great movie, and the other woman told me this was the second time she came to see it.

This is a movie I will watch again, if it is shown on TV. 

I became a Helen Mirren fan when she did the Prime Suspect series http://www.helenmirren.com/biog.html  as Jane Tennison, aired on PBS in this country.  I also appreciated her in The Queen.  There are several other of her movies I want to see, including The Hundred Foot Journey.  I believe she has another play or series coming out on PBS in which she is Queen Elizabeth II, called The Audience https://www.telecharge.com/ScheduleAndPricing.aspx?ProductId=10486. 

Well, the upshot is I enjoyed the movie, and if you did not see it, I recommend you do in the future.

The Call For Non-Violence

I heard this interview on NPR today http://www.npr.org/2015/05/01/403597684/atlantic-staffer-criticizes-calls-for-nonviolence-in-baltimore with Ta-Nehisi Coates about the call for non-violence.  I do not agree with everything he says, but at the end of the interview, he says if we are calling for non-violence, our legislators, senators, and our President should act consistently with a plan of non-violence.  Participating in war or other violent military actions is in opposition to non-violence.   He acknowledges that violence does bring response, but violence is not something that can be advocated. He says the lives of African-Americans in this country are characterized by violence.  I think that is true. 

He talks about the era of mass incarcerations as being a violent era, and I agree with this.  Putting people in the criminal justice system is putting them in a system of violence: they are subject to violence from other offenders, they are subject to violence from the correctional staff, and they are often perpetrators of violence against correctional staff and other offenders. They are not necessarily taught how to correct or rehabilitate their behaviors. People with drug problems do not get the necessary help towards rehabilitation that they need. They may spend 20 years on a "dry drunk" but when they release from prison, they have no self-awareness or new coping skills to deal with their addiction.

And who is the mastermind that decided that locking up fathers who are delinquent in paying child support will solve the non-payment problem.  So, how can someone who is not paying child support pay child support from prison?  The government has the tool of garnishment.  Would we not do better to train unemployed fathers to prepare them for employment and then garnish their wages at a level that allows the fathers a livable wage?  And teach them  parenting skills along the way. And work with the children's mothers to educate them about the role of a father, which is not just financial support.

Our country is very slow on the uptake regarding some of these things. 

I Am Too Comfortable

The reason I got into social work was because I wanted to make a difference.  Along the way, I got side tracked because I realized I needed to have a job that afforded me a living. So, my mission was side tracked.

I am thrilled to be working in a prison because I think that if I want to serve an under served population, there is probably no more under served population than prisoners. Especially in Texas.

Recently, I saw an opportunity to learn about working with homeless people.  Another under served population.  I put that on the back burner, but have decided that I really need to learn more about working with that population, and have signed up to do so. 

I do want to make a difference.

Socially Responsible Commercials

So, a group of us were talking at work about the Superbowl commercials http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/46/commercials#video=09000d5d826a052a .  Hands down, the Budweiser commercial about the lost puppy was the best.  Then we talked about the socially responsible commercials, what someone referred to as the "daddy commercials."  The comments included that they were depressing, weird, and downers.  One person said do you suppose they were taking off on the NFL problems regarding domestic violence.  My comment was definitely yes.

And, I sat there wondering what I had missed, because I was so pleased to see corporations using a platform like that to get out a socially responsible message.  It was not until later that I realized that I had not really missed anything.  I was just looking at the commercials very differently than they were.

I think my co-workers were looking to the commercials for their entertainment value.  And I was delighted to see the message that the commercials brought, with no thought to the entertainment value. I do not always see television as an entertainment vehicle.  I enjoy entertainment on television, but I like the information, education, and current events that television brings.   Just a different point of view.

But, I thought it was sad.  We are human service professionals, mental health professionals, and hopefully promoters of social responsibility.  I guess I am naïve, but I am pleased to see the social responsibility message where I do.  I think the sports venue can be, and is, an important venue for teaching social responsibility.  It just does not surprise me that commercials for sport would take up the message.  For me it is a natural.  I guess I would have that my co-workers would applaud socially responsible commercials, too.

Superbowl Commercials

So, the National Football League Superbowl Game http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/49 is history, and the New England Patriots won.  It was a competitive game.  Either team could have one.

For many years, my primary interest in the Superbowl  has been the commercials. This year, I was also interested in the results of the game.

But this year, the commercials http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/46/commercials#video=09000d5d826a052a really interested me.  The NFL has had a black eye regarding their social responsibility, especially regarding domestic violence.  So,  it is understandable that the NFL commercials were socially responsible regarding domestic violence.  But lo and behold, many of the other advertisements also projected messages of social responsibility. Wow, what a wonderful forum for the message.  How many people will this reach?  I hope a few will be persuaded.  More importantly, I hope those businesses that did socially responsible advertisements will continue to put their money where their mouth is.

Wheel of Fortune: America's Game

 Do you watch Wheel of Fortune http://www.wheeloffortune.com/? I have, off and on over the many years this TV show has been on television.  At this point in my life, I do not usually watch game shows in their entirety and on purpose.  I frequently watch game shows as "fillers;"  in other words the show is on the same channel as the next TV program I want to watch, or is on the same channel as the TV program I just watched, and I do not want to watch something else, until the next awaited show airs. So, I may or may not be paying close attention to the show.  The same is true for Jeopardy http://www.jeopardy.com/.

One thing about Wheel of Fortune is how the role of Vanna White http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanna_White has evolved.  In the beginning she was just the letter turner.  The letters could have been turned mechanically, like the blocks were turned on Concentration.  But some genius recognized the value of having a dazzling beauty perform this chore. I suspect that about 50% of the viewing public are as interested in watching Ms. White turn letters as they are in what the puzzle is. Ms. White has gone from being a mostly silent letter turner to an integral part of the speaking show. 

Her job could have gone long ago:  TV has the digital capabilities of turning or lighting up letters with no help from a person. But Vanna White is as much a part of Wheel of Fortune as is Pat Sajak http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Sajak, the host.

So recently, and I cannot tell you when, I have noticed something on "America's Game." that I found very exciting and positive.  When the game's winner is decided, the winner is asked who is cheering for them in the live audience. Contestants bring anybody and everybody:  parents, siblings, children, spouses, aunts, uncles, cousins, best friends, coworkers, for example.  Recently, I have noticed contestants introducing same sex supporters as "my special friend," "my partner," "my life partner," and most recently, a male contestant introduced his husband. 

I think this is so positive that people are willing to acknowledge their relationships in public and on national TV.  The Wikipedia information on Pat Sajak indicates he is a conservative, so I have to wonder how he feels about this. But it is what it is.  30 states now recognize same sex marriage.  We have to deal with the reality that sexual preference is a right.  And should be accorded the benefits, privileges and freedoms accorded to that right.

I think this is a good thing for the American Public. People with same sex "special friends" have been in my life as long as I can remember.  I learned about homosexuality in high school, and got to know many homosexuals in college.  As my life has evolved, I have gotten to know many more people who are homosexual, who are in various degrees of acknowledgement of their sexuality. And my relationships with them are in various degrees from acquaintance or co-worker, to good friend.

Years ago, I was in a break room at work, and my co-workers were disparaging homosexuals.  Uncharacteristically for me, I was brave enough to say they should be careful how they talk about homosexuals, because they do not know who in the room might be one. I embarrassed some people that day, and made enemies of others.

Some people in my life have accusingly told me that my friends are homosexuals.  My response has been "so."  I did not care if the accusation was right or wrong. It makes no difference.  Those people are right.  I do have friends who are homosexuals, but not all of my friends are homosexuals.  I make friends based on the character of the person, not their sexual preference.  I have very few close friends, and I cherish those I have.  Their religion, ethnic origin, or sexual preference is of no consequence to me.  Their character and interaction with me is.

Isn't this "America's Game?"  Not our race, religion, gender preference, sexual preference, creed, national origin, ethnicity, age, or physical and mental capability, or socioeconomic status? Are we not all created equal under the law? True we are all individuals with individuals talents and capabilities, but should we not all be offered similar, equal or consistent opportunities under the law?  Sure our personal circumstances do not necessarily offer us equal economic, educational or social advantages.   But shouldn't we have the opportunity to those if we can access those? And shouldn't our government be working towards making those opportunities more universally accessible to all citizens? Isn't this "America's Game?"

The CIA and Enhanced Interrogation Techniques

So, what I get out of the statements from the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)   John Brennan http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/11/politics/john-brennan-defends-cia-after-torture-report/index.html is that he is acknowledging that there were inappropriate interrogation techniques, but they resulted in information that was useful in protecting our country.  So, he is saying that the ends justified the means. 

You and I know that that is not right. The ends do not justify the means. I understand that the nation was freaked out by the 9/11/2001 attacks, but since when did we become amoral?  Even in the face of these attacks.  When other countries around us remained level headed and moral? 

It is my hope that my nation never stoops to this sort of amoral behavior again.  However, we have a lot of cleaning up to do in regards to race relations, and some of that borders on, or maybe is amoral.  Hmmm.

Sports and Social Responsibility

Most recently, there has been a rash of events of domestic violence in the lives of NFL http://www.nfl.com/ players. I am not going to rehash the stories here.  I am going to write about the role of the professional athlete and their place in public as a role model.

Professional athletes are not perfect, and never have been.  Babe Ruth http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_Ruth was reportedly a womanizer who drank to much alcohol. Lance Armstrong http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Armstrong. tried to beat the drug testing authorities.  Mickey Mantle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Mantle drank too much, for years. Ted Williams http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Williams was criticized for not being present at the birth of a child. In times past, the press allowed them their transgressions. More or less.

NASCAR has their bad boys.  They have played down the "rum runner" history of Junior Johnson http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_Johnson.  Currently, Tony Stewart http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/16/us/tony-stewart-grand-jury/index.html, who has a history of anger problems, is under scrutiny for his part in the on track death of Kevin Ward Jr, at Canandaigua Race Track earlier this year.

Michael Vick was castigated, and expelled from the NFL, for his part in dog fighting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Vick.  Michael Vick was "rehabilitated" and welcomed back into the NFL, such was his talent.

Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Phelps has had his share of legal and social problems.

Charles Barkley http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Barkley famously said that he is not a role model. Maybe he did not get into professional sports to be a role model, but guess what, when someone becomes a superstar, they are cast as a role model, whether or not they like it.

Pennsylvania State was embroiled in a child abuse scandal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penn_State_child_sex_abuse_scandal from which they could not extricate themselves, and which took down the (formerly) beloved Coach Joe Paterno.

Don Sterling http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Sterling former owner of the Los Angeles Clippers was banished from the NBA for his racist comments.  Atlanta Hawks Bruce Levenson http://www.nba.com/2014/news/09/07/hawks-owner-statement-on-team-sale/index.html voluntarily resigned based on years old emails that had racist comments.

So now, the NFL has several players who are being investigated for domestic abuse incidents: http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/15/us/nfl-fallout/index.html Ray Rice, Ray McDonald, Adrian Peterson, and Greg Hardy, if not others.

The NFL authorities keep talking about "getting it right." But what is "getting it right."  I fully support the "innocent until proven guilty" philosophy of our country.  So, I am not sure what the NF response should be.  I think the "deactivate status" works:  a player cannot play, but is still on the payroll.  It is equivalent to some local situations in which school officials have been charged with child abuse, and "suspended with pay."  This keeps them (ostensibly) away from the students, but allows them a livelihood until a verdict is achieved.

But first and foremost, their response should be that they have zero tolerance for domestic violence of any kind.  I am comfortable with the response that they do not know if someone is guilty of domestic violence, but they need to contain the situation and the involvement of the player in their sport until the situation has been resolved.

But really, what is our expectation of professional athletes?  Realistically or not, we expect them to present a positive role model that presents their team and their sport in a positive light.

Is that fair? Is that realistic? Babe Ruth's transgressions were generally downplayed  As were Junior Johnsons, and Michael Phelps. Why do we forgive some athletes, and crucify others?

Years ago, the press was more forgiving of our sports heroes.   But they sure got into the lives of our entertainment stars.  Should the public scrutiny be the same, for sports heroes, entertainment stars and political bigwigs.   I think it should.

People do not accidently find themselves in the role of sports hero, entertainment star or political bigwig.  It is a career path down which they purposefully, and dutifully roll. 

Entertainment stars have long been known for their scandalous behavior. And, many survive the publicity, usually because a newer, juicier story comes along.

Sadly, in this day and age, people do not always get into politics for the common good.  Often, politicians are drawn by greed for wealth and power.  And, our politicians may not start out with wealth and power, but they usually end up with both, at least while in office. Our leaders just are not noble anymore. (If they ever were.)

So, why do we hold our sports stars to such higher standards and ideals?  I am not sure.  But I think it is in part because we pay large sums of money to these athletes so they can continue to play the games we love.  And, because they are playing, it is as if we think they continue to be young innocents. 

I think it is also in part because these athlete perform wonderful feats of strength and daring do, and garner our admiration.  And because they do have our admiration, we endow them with special powers and character traits that make them special.  We want them to be special, good, innocent and right.  We want them to be superheroes, and lift them upon a pedestal of goodness and right.

Is that realistic?  Probably not. 

I think it is amazing that we hold our athletes to codes of conduct that some of their fans violate on a regular basis.  Because we violate those codes, does that mean they should or can without recrimination?  I believe the sports heroes should be subject to the same laws as the rest of us, and should not be given a "bye" because of their fame and fortune.  Granted, there wealth gives them access to better legal representation than most of us could even think to hire.

And, there are always those who will hang on to stars for the secondary gains that association with the wealthy, powerful and famous provides us. 

O J Simpson escaped conviction when accused of killing his ex-wife Nicole Simpson, and waiter Ron Goldman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_of_the_State_of_California_vs._Orenthal_James_Simpson. 
It was like the jury bought into Simpson's fame and gave him a pass for his involvement or behavior. Not so, years later, when he was arrested for robbery in Nevada http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Nevada_v._Orenthal_James_Simpson,_et_al. The American public could not be bought off by his fame twice.

And, since then, sports figures have been held to that higher standard.  Should they be?  I think the law should be applied equally to all, and if domestic violence is not tolerated by sports figures, it should not be tolerated any where in our society.  Child abuse, and sexual exploitation should not be tolerated anywhere in our society, no matter the perpetrator. 

I know that is not going to be the case.  I believe there is currency for prosecutors to go after sports figures when they commit crimes, especially domestic violence crimes. The prosecutors benefit from the publicity.  I wonder how vigorously these same prosecutors are pursuing the others in their jurisdictions accused of the same crimes.

So, should their sports sanction these accused?  Well, as I said, innocent until proven guilty.  But, being accused brings  shame on the sport, and the sport does have the right to sanction players for bringing bad publicity to the sport. (To avoid sin, avoid the near occasion of sin.) We cannot keep our sports pure, but we can insist that the mess their athletes create be cleaned up quickly and thoroughly, but judiciously.

If the accused are found not guilty, they can be given second chances, as would any common citizen. (Do we give people found not guilty of heinous crimes a second chance?  Sometimes.)  Of course, it is not that easy.  But these accused must go on, as we all must, when we make mistakes.  Accept the responsibility, accept the consequences, including punishment or re-integration as the verdict requires or allows.   The Michael Vick case is an example of that, good or bad.

Random Thoughts

Maya Angelou http://mayaangelou.com/ died May 28, 2014.  I was going to write an entire blog about her, but realized that would be hypocritical.  I knew of her. I have read some of her poems.  I have watched her interviews and poetry readings on TV. But I am not well versed regarding her life, except to know that she was involved in the civil rights movement. I have told myself several times in the past that I want to read her best known work:  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.  I have put it off, sometimes, because I think it will be emotionally difficult.  But, I did put it on my reading list.

There was yet another mass shooting this week, this time in Santa Barbara, California.  The perpetrator, Elliot Rodger, was known to have mental health problems, and left video evidence of his pre-meditated act. Some of these have been removed https://www.youtube.com/user/ElliotRodger, because of their content. I saw one on TV. It was sick.

The father of one of the victims spoke out regarding these episodes, and that we need to be proactive to stop this horror https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u38LLKgp_f4.

The last time there was a mass murder, I contacted my Congressman, Randy Naughebauer, and Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.  The responses I received were non-descript.  In other words, they were not concerned about gun control or improving mental health services.

Texas is a law and order state, a state's right state, a personal firearms state, and a state that does not believe in spending money for mental health care for the low income/indigent population. Our current governor rejects Federal money: not for economy stimulation, not for medicaid expansion, not for anything. (I resent this: I continue to pay my Federal taxes, but my governor prevents me from getting maximum return on my investment. When I tell Governor Perry supporters my view point, they are astounded to realize what they are missing out on!  Duh!  They are so blinded by states rights, that they do not see what benefits they lose.)

Once again, I will contact my representatives and express my concern about these issues.

Depending on where you are in West Texas, the rainfall amounts we have received since last Friday are from 3 to 5 inches. This is a blessing for farmers, especially dry land farmers. This rain did not dispel our drought/water restriction problems. But, it did help the fireworks vendors, as they may be able to sell fireworks without concern for a ban. This is a big industry for July 4th.

President Obama addressed the graduating class at West Point today. http://www.usma.edu/parents/SiteAssets/Graduation%20Activities%202014.pdf. or http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/05/28/america-must-always-lead-president-obama-addresses-west-point-graduates One of my coworkers was present. Her nephew was graduating. What a thrilling experience that must have been.

We have been blessed as a nation:  A civil rights activist died today, but the President addressing the United States Army Military Academy (West Point) is a man of color.  While he generally does not use the presidency as a bully pulpit, he has let it be known what it means, telling the general public, that to be a black man who might be "profiled" by police when a crime has been committed causes much anxiety, fear, paranoia, and concern that his rights will be violated.

The reality is this could happen.  Our law enforcement people do over react sometimes to race, color, gender. Our law enforcement people are put on the line, over and over, asked to make split second decisions, so many of their decisions should not be second guessed.  But sometimes, once a suspect is subduedand in custody, thingshappen, and our law enforcement officers need to be second guessed.

Human Rescue Coalition

Lubbock has something called the "Human Rescue Coalition" which has been meeting and currently has been working with the  Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Task Force, overseen by the Lubbock Rape Crisis Center, dba as "The Voice of Hope,"  to bring this issue to the forefront in Lubbock. Today, there was a workshop regarding Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, and a "Night of Awareness" about sex trafficking, pornography, prostitution, and the lack of resources for people who are trying to exit this lifestyle.

I attended both sessions.  I did not need the CEUs offered at the workshop, but I accepted them. I mostly attended because this is a youth at risk issue, and I am trying to learn more about youth at risk, as a member of the board of directors at Catholic Charities.  But, I can use the education credits towards the required 40 ACA credits that I need at work.

The Human Resource Coalition has a Facebook page.  Which I will probably not access.

I was pleased to learn that they meet at the Catholic Diocese building, which lends its support to this issue. I am so pleased to see the Diocese of Lubbock involved in human rights issues.

For more information, look at the Voice of Hope webpage at VoiceofhopeLubbock.org.

The Impact of Sports on Our Lives

There are very many impacts of sports on our lives.  I cannot begin to address all of those impacts, but there is one area of our lives that I want to address.  And I want to address it by talking about two movies that specifically highlight this aspect of our lives.

The United States fought a War Between the North and the South http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/civil-war-overview/northandsouth.html over economic issues, specifically, but not only, the issue of slavery. By war's end, the black slaves of all states in the United States were declared emancipated http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/emancipation_proclamation/transcript.html.

However, Blacks were not treated well, nor as equals, nor allowed to integrate into our society for close to a hundred years after the war's end.  Segregation was promulgated by "The Jim Crow Laws" http://www.nps.gov/malu/forteachers/jim_crow_laws.htm, not withstanding the fact that Integration technically became the law of the land in 1866 http://www.withylaw.com/history.htm.  There are still racial problems in the United States, not with just the Blacks, but that is one of the areas of racism the United States still faces.

Although there have been Black soldiers in wars fought by the United States, beginning with the War for Independence http://www.army.mil/africanamericans/timeline.html,  the United States military did not officially integrate until 1946 http://www.withylaw.com/history.htm.  Even then, integration was not widely nor uniformly implemented. However, the integration of the United States military opened the door for other types of integrations.

Sports in the United States was a venue which saw integration after World War II.  Yesterday, I went to watch the movie 42 http://42movie.warnerbros.com/,  which is based on the story of Branch Rickey, Brooklyn Dodger executive, choosing Jackie Robinson as the first Negro player in Major League Baseball. I do not usually go to the movies.  I went to see this movie the weekend it was released.  A friend of mine wanted to see it, and invited me to join her.  I enjoyed the movie more the second time, than I did the first, and saw things in it the second time that I missed the first time. And, I can tell you, I will see this movie many more times.

I have seen the movie Glory Road http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385726/ multiple times on TV or DVD.  The story is about the 1966 NCAA Championship team, the Texas Western Miners, http://gloryroad.utep.edu/home.aspx, which started 5 black players in the championship game, the first such team to win a championship. Did Coach Don Haskins set out to integrate NCAA basketball on a grand scale? From watching the movie, he just set out to win.  And win he did. But that championship game is considered one of, if not the most important basketball games in NCAA history. 

These two stories are a prime example of how sports impacts our lives.  Integration was a long, emotional, hard fought, and bloody battle.  It did not go smoothly in sports any more than it went in many other aspect of our lives.  But sports has had a major impact on integration. 

Constitution USA

I am a fan of "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" so it stands to reason I am a fan of the host, Peter Sagal http://petersagal.com/. And, so I am.  I knew he was doing a new series on PBS called "Constitution USA" http://www.pbs.org/tpt/constitution-usa-peter-sagal/home/ and it started tonight. I vaguely thought about if I wanted to watch it. But it did not seem to be a priority.

I was other wise occupied at 8 PM, when the show was being aired locally.  The friend that went to the "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" cinecast last week sent me a text reminding me about the show. So, a few minutes after 8 PM, I tuned to KTTZ TV http://www.kttz.org/ and watched the show.  I am glad I did. It was very interesting. This will have to become scheduled watching for the duration of the series.

Jackie Robinson Day 42 and

The first Jackie Robinson Day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Robinson_Day was celebrated by Major League Baseball in 2004, and was designated as a celebration annually in 2005 http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130410&content_id=44442254&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb. This year, Jackie Robinson Day is 4/15/13.  If teams do not play on 4/15/13, they celebrate the next day.  If they are not in their home stadium on 4/15/13, they honor Jackie Robinson at their next home game.

If you do not know who Jackie Robinson is, he was the first Afro-American baseball player, hand picked, to play in the major leagues.  This occurred in 1947, and frankly he faced a lot of racism as he traveled with his team and played baseball across the country. He handled the situation with courage, grace, respect, and dignity. 

His number, 42, was retired in 1997 by Major League Baseball, but Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees, whose number is 42, was allowed to continue to wear the number, as he did before the number was retired 

In 2007, Ken Griffey Jr. asked permission to wear 42 on Jackie Robinson Day in Robinson's honor.  In 2009,  all players were allowed to wear the number on Jackie Robinson Day. Now, everyone wears 42 on Jackie Robinson Day.

The movie "42 The Jackie Robinson Story"  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0453562/  has a line: "Someday everyone will wear 42."  The point is symbolic: if we are all 42 we are all the same: race, creed, color, whatever, we are all the same.  The movie was nationally released 4/12/13, timing it to coincide closely with Jackie Robinson Day 2013.

I went to see the movie today.  I wanted to get to it early in its showing in Lubbock, because Lubbock is not a baseball town, and I did not think it would stay around long.  I was surprised by the crowd, including many women, even solitary women as myself, without a companion, in the audience. During the movie, when there were good baseball plays, the audience clapped (I did) like it was a real game.

I appreciate the struggle and pain Jackie Robinson went through as the first black player in Major League Baseball. But I can not imagine what that was. 

I am glad Major League Baseball recognizes him. And, that Major League Baseball (the national past time) recognizes its role in the integration of our nation.

I have to wonder what Thomas Jefferson, Jackie Robinson and Martin Luther King, Jr. would thing about Barak Obama being the President of the United States of America.

If anyone says that sports does not have an impact on our culture, they are wrong.  And, while it is not the end all and be all of integration, sports has had a very large impact on integration in this country.