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Messenger Archives - March 2007

MOLLIE BRADLEY-MARTIN can't get no, well, you know
The (Useless) Information Age

Television "news" is virtually dead at this point. When one must watch hours of MSNBC or CNN to get any information about the current state of our "conflict" with Iran while simultaneously being bombarded 24/7 with pictures of Brittney Spears's bald head and the growing line of Anna Nicole Smith's wannabe baby-daddies, I think it's safe to say that on television, the information age consists solely of useless information.

If only print news were any better.

With The New York Times continuing to peddle Bush administration talking points, providing front page placement for nothing more than White House propaganda and "analysis" of intelligence information on Iran that is never analyzed after it leaves the Vice President's desk, I'm getting the sense that war with Iran is as unavoidable as was war with Iraq. Not because events are driving our two countries toward an inevitable confrontation, but because the Bush/Cheney war machine continues to be fuelled by a compliant (culpable) press. Thank goodness for the Internet.

But while many of us are turning to online news sources for information and alternative analysis of unfolding events, there are still many people in this country who don't, but there is a beacon of hope. As television "news" becomes more and more indistinguishable from Entertainment Tonight, a few of our traditionally soft news and entertainment magazines are stepping up to the plate to fill the void.

dick cheney

Last year, Rolling Stone published a great piece on the fraud-ridden 2004 Presidential election that provided hundreds of thousands of people the opportunity to read information that had been, up to that point, confined to the Internet. And now, it is GQ (yes, the men's magazine) that has stepped up to offer what our newspapers should, a clear and concise case for the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney. I'm not one of the many that cite "President Cheney" as a reason for not impeaching George W., but impeaching them both is by far the best idea, even if we start with Cheney.

As I've written before, impeachment isn't an option so much as an obligation. We have a president and a vice president who have both committed high crimes, violated the laws of our land AND our constitution, and it is our duty to impeach them.

We cannot allow our executive branch to lie to Congress and to the American people. We cannot allow them to break our laws with no consequences. We cannot allow them to abuse their power, imprison American citizens and deny them their constitutional rights, violate international law with illegal wars, authorize torture in violation of Geneva Conventions and violate our privacy with illegal wiretapping. These are impeachable offenses. We have a duty to uphold the rule of law and we must make clear to future elected leaders that criminal behavior will not be tolerated. If we don't, we will get more of the same. It really is as simple as that.

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Last year, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled on a case involving gay marriage. The court asserted that the state can ban same-sex marriage because the state has a vested interest in preserving marriage for the purposes of procreation. What a crock of shit!

In response to this ruling, initiative 957 was born. I-957 will require all married couples to file a "proof of procreation" within three years of the marriage. If the Supreme Court of Washington says marriage is for procreation, then that ruling has to apply across the board.

I absolutely love this initiative, can't wait to sign it and hope I get a chance to vote on it! If it takes an insane initiative to hammer home the pointlessness of excluding same-sex couples from the institution of marriage, then by all means do it.

Some people need to be hit over the head with their own hypocrisy before it sinks in, and vigilance is the most effective means of change.

I watched the Super Bowl and I saw the Snickers commercial where the two men, eating from opposite sides of the candy bar, meet in the middle in a kiss, after which they proceed to rip out their chest hair (and other "manly" behavior) to prove their manhood. I thought the commercial was funny, not because of the kiss, but because the men were portrayed as ridiculous.

I was a bit surprised by the uproar that arose from gay activists after the ad aired. My first reaction was "lighten up;" but upon further reflection, I realized they are exactly right to make a fuss.

Disgust and violence, even when directed inwards, should never be portrayed as the appropriate response to homosexual behavior. That's an incredibly dangerous message, whether subliminal or overt, especially considering that hate crimes against gays and lesbians are still prevalent. Labeling this commercial as homophobic challenges, very publicly, the fallacy that two men kissing is anything less than manly.

As a parent, I want my children to grow up in a world that is not only tolerant of differences, but understanding and accepting of those differences. It is easy for heterosexuals to forget that those fighting for gay rights are fighting for us as well. Many of us will have gay children, and if our children are able to grow up unafraid of violent reactions to their sexual desires, proud of who they are and free enough to express their innermost feelings, we will have the gay and lesbian activists of today to thank. So thank you to all who fight for equal rights for gays and lesbians. Thank you for moving this debate out of the closet and onto the pages of our newspapers. Thank you for your vigilance, thank you for your sacrifice, and thank you for all of your hard work in making this country a better and safer place for all of our children.


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