“William Zanzinger killed poor Hattie Carroll…”

Folk music has always been a news medium of sorts.  In an age where we have news delivered to us via the phones in our pockets or the watches on our wrists, it’s hard to imagine getting your news for the first time from a physical newspaper, and even harder to imagine hearing a story for the first time on vinyl.

I heard this song for the first time on cassette.  I know it didn’t resonate within me then the way that it does now.  I know I enjoyed the tune, but it didn’t really mean much to me.  In fact, it wasn’t until several years ago that I actually researched the history of the tune.

What continues to hit home with me about this Dylan ballad is the way he tells the listener, “now ain’t the time for your tears”–as if to say, “just wait. . .the story gets worse.”

William “Billy” Zantzinger (Dylan changed the name to Zanzinger in his song) was attending the Spinster’s ball in Baltimore, MD in 1963.  Stories show that he had been drinking throughout the day and arrived at the ball intoxicated.  He was rude, belligerent, and generally disorderly.  Accounts of the evening say that he was stumbling through the party, falling down while dancing, he hit his wife, and even started a fight with another attendee.  While at the bar attempting to order another drink, the bartender (Hattie Carroll) was not responding quickly enough, so he hit her with his cane while tossing racial epithets at her (Carroll was black).  I say again, he hit her with his cane.

“Now ain’t the time for your tears. . .”

Zantzinger was arrested for assault (not just on Carroll, but for striking other guests/employees as well).

Not long after being struck by Zantzinger, Carroll complained of not feeling well and was taken to the hospital where she later died of a stroke.

“Now ain’t the time for your tears. . .”

The next morning Zantzinger was released on bail before the officers of the court heard of Carroll’s death at the hospital.  He walked out of the jail on $600 bond with a return court date.  The charge was later upgraded to murder.

“Now ain’t the time for your tears. . .”

Zantzinger’s father served in the Maryland legislature.  Zantzinger had a fairly significant plot of land (tobacco farm).  Zantzinger’s family was wealthy, prosperous, known. . .  Carroll was a 54 year old, black, mother of 13, bartender in a hotel.  In attempt to avoid a trial centered on race, Zantzinger opted to forgo his right to a jury trial and asked to have the trial settled by a judge.  He wanted to keep all this as quiet as possible.

After hearing the facts of the case, a three judge panel concluded that the blows from Zantzinger’s cane alone could not have caused Carroll’s stroke and subsequent death.  Therefore, Zantzinger was sentenced to six months in prison after reducing the charge from murder to manslaughter.

The murder of a minority, hidden from the eyes of the press, allegedly using familial influence to lower the charges. . .and receive 6 months for killing a woman. . .

Now?  Now is it time?

Yes.

“Oh you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears, bury the rag deep in your face, now is the time for your tears.”

There are a multitude of injustices in this story.  Carroll, a black woman in the 1960’s was marginalized because of the color of her skin.  We (as society) thought that was ok.  We thought selective marginalization was ok because society saw an actual rights difference between whites, and literally everyone else.  Injustices were allowed.  They occured on nearly every level, and in this instance…this story…they keep getting worse.  They.  Keep.  Getting.  Worse.

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Welcome to North Carolina–where we will do our best to continue marginalizing people for a multitude of reasons.  We have a fairly rich history here of hate.  Of the 917 hate groups in America, 31 of them are in our state (placing us in the top 10 states with the most hate groups).  We are home to black hate groups, white hate groups, Jewish hate groups, Muslim hate groups, immigrant hate groups, and right in downtown Raleigh–in our capitol building, we house a hate group that openly hates the LBGTQ community.  (We may be 34th in education, but we’re top 10 in hate!!) (sources:  Education; Hate-Map)

“Now ain’t the time for your tears.”

Almost a year ago I wrote a piece about HB2 in North Carolina called, When you gotta go. . .  For those of you who are unfamiliar with this specific piece of legislation:  North Carolina decided it would be a great idea to force individuals to use the restroom that is on their birth certificate rather than the bathroom of the gender they identify with.  Causing the following folks:

to be forced to use the women’s room (how do you feel about one of these burly lads following your little girl into the bathroom?).

And these nice folks:

to all use the men’s room.  This.  This is how we want to treat folks in the Tar Heel State.  This is how we make folks feel welcome.  This is what we thought would be a good idea.  This was for “safety.”

“Now ain’t the time for your tears.”

The nation took notice though.  Boy did they ever.  Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam (among others) cancelled concerts across the state because of the bill.  Some entertainers held their shows, but publically donated all of the funds to LGBT charities.  The ACC moved it’s football championship from Charlotte to Florida in protest of the state’s decision.  The NCAA vowed to move all tournament style events out of the state.  The NBA pulled its all star game.  Conventions decided they would be better off being held outside the state’s hateful borders.  Businesses stopped major expansions in North Carolina.  Companies placed travel bans on the state telling their employees that not only did they not require them to travel here, they warned them against it.  (For the record, Beyonce didn’t care–her concert went off without a hitch).

Our state’s response at the time?  The legislature dug its heels in and fought harder citing the protection of our children and our neighbors from the vile pedophiles who would dress up in clothes they didn’t belong in to try to go into a bathroom and touch children.  (For the record, I think we should protect children–however I’m far more worried about a football camp at Penn State than I’ll ever be worried about the bathroom at a fast food joint in Harnett County.) Economic consequences (real and potential) be damned, HB2 stood.

“Now ain’t the time for your tears.”

The people spoke up!  We elected a new governor.  We ousted a Pat and got ourselves a Roy.  When Roy Cooper took office, he immediately took aim at HB2.  In December, representatives from across the state agree that if the City of Charlotte would just overturn their ordinance that started this whole mess, a repeal of HB2 would be guaranteed.  In December, the Charlotte city council held an emergency meeting to repeal all kinds of ordinances those that involve specifically the LBGT ordinances, and those that do not in order to gain a repeal state-wide of HB2.  There is hope.  Citizens of the state wake up to see that Charlotte has relented and now the general assembly is going to repeal HB2 once and for all. . .

. . .not so fast.  The General Assembly can’t quite bring themselves to a repeal that they promised.

“Now ain’t the time for your tears.”

A few weeks ago, the house and senate vote to repeal HB2 and replace it with a bland 17 lines that really misses the mark, but it seems to fulfill the necessary language for the NCAA and the ACC to bring some revenue back to the state.  It doesn’t address the issues, but instead generically states that the state alone can mandate bathrooms and who can use them, and doesn’t let anyone (state or local) change the ordinances until 2020.

This isn’t even a moral victory to me.  It’s not the mea culpa I was hoping for (though never expected), it’s not even an acknowledgement–its just a bill that satisfies the NCAA’s requirement to bring sports back to the state.  It’s not great, but…hang on–We.  Keep.  Getting.  Worse.

“Now ain’t the time for your tears.”

This week, we’ve reached a new low.  The source of hate in the state (the capitol building) has somehow managed to out-hate itself.  This week, representatives (plural) made a push to ban gay marriage in the state.  House Bill 780 wanted to say that the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same sex marriage nationwide is, “null and void in the State of North Carolina.”  Representatives (and I want to call them out by name): Michael Speciale (New Bern), Larry Pittman (Concord), Mike Clampitt (Bryson County), and Carl Ford (Rowan County), put forth the, “Uphold Historical Marriage Act” in an attempt to ban gay marriage and essentially uphold the hateful Amendment One.

“Anyone can propose a bill.”  This is very true.  There have been hundreds of proposed bills even this week, and many (especially this one) won’t ever see the light of day on the floor of the house.  That’s not the point.  Several congressmen and women have made statements like the following

But, that’s not really the point either is it?  It can’t be.  Whether the bill gets heard or not (even at a committee level) is secondary, or even tertiary to the fact that someone, somewhere thinks this is ok.  AND, we elected them.

Now?

Yes.  Now.

“Oh you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears, bury the rag deep in your face, now is the time for your tears.”

How is it possible this is still an issue? How have we not gotten past this?  How is my state perpetually moving backwards when it comes to equal rights for all people irrespective of race, socio economic status, religious creed, sexual orientation, or sexual identity?  How are we this hateful, and HOW ARE WE THIS HATEFUL IN OUR LAW MAKING BODY?  Four people signed this bill to bring it to the assembly.  Four.  This should be the proverbial nail in their coffins with respect to their political career, but it won’t be.

We aren’t even that astonished as a people that this bill got suggested.

We aren’t even that ashamed.

We don’t really even care.

I can confidently say this, because if we did, we’d do more about it.  We’d say more about it.  I’m still extremely upset about HB2, yes.  I’m still extremely embarrassed about HB2, yes.  This hurts though.  This hurts me at my most fundamental level for the friends I have that are a part of the LGBT community who are still facing constant judgment for the lifestyle they lead–for the people they are.

The reality of the world that we live in is different than it was 50 years ago.  Its different than it was 10 years ago.  Why are we so slow to adapt to it?  Why are we hanging on to the fears and hate of the past generations?  Why is it so important to exclude groups of people?

It isn’t because marriage is the religious institution it once was–the divorce rate is higher than it has ever been–so don’t tell me we are socially trying to protect an institution that we have decided really isn’t worth protecting in our own lives.

It isn’t because God Almighty says it’s wrong–while we have legalized gambling in the form of a state lottery.

It’s because we don’t understand it–it’s because it isn’t for us–it’s because at some basic level–we are afraid.

There’s nothing to be afraid of.  No one is trying to make you like them–love the people they love–be attracted to the sex that they are attracted to–identify with a gender you don’t…some people–really good people–just want to live life.

As it relates to marriage, why shouldn’t gay and lesbian couples have rights to health information in the hospital as a spouse?  Why shouldn’t they have access to bank records as a spouse?  Why shouldn’t they be able to adopt as spouses?  What is the issue with this?

I’ll leave you with more Dylan–from the same album (and perhaps better known).  It’s amazing to me that Dylan’s words from 50 years ago ring even truer today:

“Come gather ’round people wherever you roam
And admit that the waters around you have grown
Accept it soon, you’ll be drenched to the bone

If your time to you is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’, you could sink like a stone
For the times, they are a-changin’

Come mothers and fathers throughout the land
And don’t criticize what you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters, beyond your command

Your old road is rapidly agin’
So get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand
For the times, they are a-changin’

For the times, they are a-changin’

The line, it is drawn, the curse, it is cast
The slow one now will later be fast
The present now will later be past

The order is rapidly fadin’
And the first one now will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'”

Let’s get on board.  Let’s be better.

I don’t love where our country is right now.  We are at each others’ throats and there seems to be some sense of perverse pleasure from tearing one another down.  I’m not a fan of this.  I have always aligned with the Republican party because of (mainly) fiscal issues.  I have always felt as though the Republican party had far better fiscal policies.  I have at times (and many, many, many times) loathed the party’s social policies:

• We (republicans) have attacked poor people and not the problem of poverty
• We (republicans) have attacked women who have had abortions and not the problem of abortion (nor have we addressed the socioeconomic reprucussions of outright banning abortions)
• We (republicans) have attacked immigrants and not the problem of illegal immigration
• We (republicans) have attacked those who stood up for individual races without listening to the actual issues

I am not representative of these attacks, nor are many people I know personally.  I don’t know many people who self identify as, “republicans” who fail to see the importance of each of the individual above issues, or who fail to see the problem with the way the, “party” mishandles these issues.  One of the problems is that we as individuals have very little say in how the party is portrayed, or how it represents itself on the issues.  Yet another problem is that we are often left with the option of voting for someone with whom we only agree partially (“partially” is generous here).

With that in mind, I don’t feel like republicans who supported Trump are being given a fair shake.  It isn’t fair to say that a vote for Trump is a, “vote for xenophobia, fear mongering,  misogyny, islamaphobia, discrimination, or sexual assault.”  Yet, that’s what many democrats wanted republicans to feel as though they were individually bad people for choosing to vote for Trump.  What many didn’t understand (and what I feel like I’ve learned), is that this really only fueled the fire for so many to go out and vote.  This type of rhetoric really pissed people off, and they showed it at the polls.  Also, this hurt.  This hurt a lot of people.  There are people who I know who supported Trump in this election that were genuinely offended by this type of thing (possibly in the same way that many Liberals were offended by Trump’s candidacy).  

Here’s the difference:  feeling like Trump is a bad person doesn’t make it ok to call your neighbor a bad person for wanting a Republican president.  There were people who solely voted for Trump because he wasn’t Hillary.  I know many folks who don’t agree with Trump on many levels, but disagreed with Hillary on many more.  

Republicans have allowed themselves to be painted into a corner by some of the most brilliant rhetoric in human history.  If you didn’t agree with Obama, you were labeled a racist.  If you didn’t agree with Hillary, you have been labeled a misogynist.  If you think that we need a better solution on immigration, then you discriminate…  Yes, there are racists, misogynists, and discriminators, but disagreeing doesn’t automatically make you one of those.  Yet, democrats make that claim liberally and openly.  This is part of what has caused such a significant divide between peoples.  This type of thing isn’t okay.  We have to stop this.

Similarly, it wouldn’t be fair for me to say something like: “Look at the civil unrest protesting Trump’s election right now.  Democrats only support a democracy when their candidate wins, and when their candidate doesn’t, they are for civil unrest and they support looting and riots.  Need further proof?  Just look at the Black Lives Matter movement and how it supports the same ideals.”  How unfair is that?  Its utter absurdity, yet it’s what some people are saying.

We have to stop this type of rhetoric.  It isn’t helping.  Both sides have to stop.

Democrats are good people.  I know this because many of my close friends openly voted for Hillary, and they are rational, reasonable human beings. None of them are anarchists.  None of the ones closest to me have uttered the phrase, “Not my president.”  None of them are talking about moving to Canada.  It would be unfair for me to group them with the people that do those things or say those things.  Several of my closest friends have said words like, “he’s not who I voted for, but it’s who we have–now let’s see what he can do.”  

It’s ok to not like Trump.  He is our President though.  It’s ok to disagree with him on every fundamental level.  It’s ok to think that HE is a bad guy.  It’s not okay to conflate the people who wanted a change in the White House with a person who has done deplorable things.  They are not the same.  

You don’t have to explain to your daughter how this country failed her.  You don’t have to explain to your LGBT friends or family how this country failed them.  You don’t have to explain to your immigrant friends how this country failed them.  Why?  Because it didn’t.  This country is not defined by the politicians that run it.  This country is defined by us.  You DO have to raise your daughter to believe she can be anything she wants to be.  You do have to love your LGBT friends and family and personally support their each and every endeavor.  You do have to love your neighbor–irrespective of where they are from or what they believe or who they worship and fight for their rights just as you do your own.  That’s what this country is about and that is what is going to heal us.

I also learned that Democrats really didn’t show up for Hillary the way they thought they were going to:

Maybe this is due to the polls stating emphatically that Hillary would win in a landslide and folks didn’t feel like they needed to vote, maybe democrats overall didn’t have the faith in their candidate the way they did in the previous two elections.  Whatever the reason, the numbers don’t lie.  50% of the country didn’t even vote and of those that did, they were nearly split down the middle.  Perhaps this is the cause of all of the unrest.

Lastly, I’ve learned that I love a lot of people a lot more than I thought I did.  I don’t like the fighting over politics.  I don’t like feeling like I’m at odds with close friends over something that at the end of the day doesn’t change our lives in a direct, meaningful way.  I know I’m not at odds with anyone…so why does it feel that way?  I refuse to have friendships weakened over an election.  I refuse to have anyone believe I think less of them because of who they voted for.  Similarly, I refuse to think less of anyone for their political beliefs–even when they are in direct opposition to mine.  

I am a republican.  I don’t love Trump.  I’m not a xenophobic, fear mongerer, misogynist, islamaphobic, discriminator, nor do I support sexual assault.  I actually deplore all of those things.  As a republican, I feel as though it is my duty to fight all of those things with everything I have in me while still supporting a man I don’t agree with.  It won’t be easy, but that’s my challenge and it is one I take very seriously.  I truly hope you will all join me. 

So let’s have a beer, a slice, or a cup of coffee and figure out how we will all get through this together.  After all, the red cups are back. . .

 

There hasn’t been a moment recently where I’ve been able to enjoy something on the television.  I am getting to the point of physical sickness when it comes to these political ads.  I’m not just talking about the presidential ads either–they all suck.  They are devisive, angry, accusatory, and in truth–most don’t have a thing to do with the candidate that has, “approved” that message.  That’s the common theme:  “VOTE FOR ME BECAUSE THE OTHER GUY/GAL IS AWFUL.”  I don’t recall an election for president where it seemed to solely be about the negatives about the other candidate.  From the debates, to the ads, to seemingly every campaign stop–it wasn’t as much about the issues as it was about why you shouldn’t vote for the other person.

Enough is enough.

By the time you go to bed on Tuesday night (presumably) we will have a new President.  50% of you will be really happy and 50% of you will be really upset.  So what now?

How we take a step back and have a bit of a group hug?  Seriously.  One of the things that makes America great is the fact that everyone isn’t the same.  We don’t have to all believe the same things.  I have some great friends that I don’t agree with politically on everything, but they are still my friends.  I still care dearly for them.  They still care dearly for me (I hope).  The fact that the person you didn’t vote for is not in office shouldn’t change how you feel about your neighbor.

Let’s not moan on social media.  I get it.  I really do.  Yes, you’re disappointed that your candidate didn’t win…but the other one DID win.  You taking a moment to bemoan that fact on facebook or twitter isn’t going to do a single positive thing. It only continues to drive an unnecessary divide between us.  Us.  Me and you.  You and your neighbor…

If you wanted to, “Make America Great Again” and that didn’t happen, how about you make your neighborhood great again.  If you were, “with Her” and she’s suddenly unemployed, why not find someone locally to be with?  You still have to live your life and angry about an election is a bad place to be.

Likewise, gloating that your candidate won??  That’s not a good look either.  It’s just poking the bear.  What’s the need for it?  Go have a beer with someone that voted for the other candidate and talk about something other than politics.  Have dinner.  Move on.  Be the bigger person.

There’s no doubt that this has been one of the ugliest elections in my lifetime and I have a sincere fear that the ugliness isn’t over yet–but that’s on us.  Truly.  It’s on each and every one of us to move forward.  Neither Hillary nor Trump in office will truly affect your day in a meaningful way, so don’t let it.  Don’t let it manage your relationships.  Don’t let it come between you and real things.  

There will be butt-hurt, but the degree to which it shows is on each and every one of us.  I hope that we as a country can move on and love one another a little bit more than we have in the last few months.  

It was hot.  I had consumed a few $12 beers and the headlining act (Dierks Bentley) was about to take the stage.  I was surrounded in the bathroom line by the reddest red-necks in the greater Raleigh-Durham area.  Everyone around me had a lip full of Skoal, a cheek full of Red-Man, was wearing overalls, jeans with boots, button-down plaid, belt buckles the size of dinner plates, hats the size of watermelons, or a bit of all of the above.  Oh, and camo…all of the camo.

It was even hotter in the bathroom.  There’s something about the concrete floors, the cinderblock walls, and concrete ceilings, combined with the sweaty bodies and the constant water flow that turns the bathrooms at the amphitheater into some sort of hellish sauna.  If it’s 90 degrees outside, it is easily 115 in the bathroom.

I really had to pee.

After waiting in line and then waiting for my turn to stand shoulder to shoulder with other men who needed to relieve themselves in the same way, a spot opened up and as I made my way (eyes forward) to the trough, I heard a distinctively female giggle coming from behind me and I looked to see to women come laughing out of a stall.  I laughed.  Several other men laughed.  I didn’t think much of it.

I get it.  I do.  The lines to the women’s restroom were easily three times as long and these girls were comfortable enough (or just had to go badly enough) to run into the men’s room, take care of their business and rush out.  They didn’t spend any time gawking, there didn’t appear to be any wandering eyes, there certainly wasn’t any touching going on, and it wasn’t made to be any sort of, “production.”  It just seemed as though they had to go, and didn’t want to wait.

I didn’t feel violated.  I didn’t feel anything.  I went to the restroom and didn’t really think much about it until I sat down to write this.  That wasn’t the first time I had experienced this, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last (especially not at Walnut Creek).

My state (North Carolina) has a real problem with that.  So much so, that we now have a House Bill (HB-2) that requires men and women to use the bathroom that their birth certificate states they should use (if you are born a male, you use the men’s room and if you are born a female, you use the women’s room).

Allegedly, we need this law to protect our citizens.  Ok, I hear you.  But from what?  “I don’t want no man following my little girl into the bathroom and touching on her in the bathroom!”  I agree good sir or madam.  I agree completely.  We don’t need that.  But that’s never happened.  Not once.  We don’t have a single recorded report/alleged report in the state of North Carolina where that’s happened.  No-one has been charged with that.  No-one has been convicted of that.  Therefore, that’s a pretty silly reason to make a law.

“It’s not natural.  Men shouldn’t want to use the women’s room, and women don’t belong in the men’s room.”  Ok.  That’s fair.

When I was young and learning to use, “sir” and “ma’am” my mom and step-dad made me flash cards with men and women of all ages on them and cards would be shown to me and I would respond with, “sir” or “ma’am” appropriately.  I’d like to play that game now. . .with you.

In North Carolina, which bathroom should the following be required to use?You said women’s room right?  because this individual’s birth certificate says female.  Ok that one was maybe tough.  Let’s try again. . .

                            If you didn’t say, “women’s room” you were wrong again. . .

                I’m guessing you don’t want this man following your little girl into the women’s room either, but that’s what he would be required to do in NC, as this man was also born a woman.  Here, let’s try this another way…

   This supermodel?  She would be required to use the men’s room in my state.

  This pretty lady would too.  Born a man–men’s room only for her.

  Finally!!  Women’s room!  Wait.  Nope. . .she gets to use the men’s restroom too.

  You getting the point yet?  Because this beauty is legally required to use the men’s room as well.

Is this what we want?  Is this the goal?  If it is, I think this brings a whole new set of problems.  How will you feel when one of the first three follow you, your daughter, your sister, your wife, or your mother into the women’s room?  How will you feel when any of the last four follow follow you, your son, your husband, your brother, your dad into the men’s room?

To me, this is much bigger than the “fear” of, “what could happen” in a bathroom (again, let’s keep in mind that it never has happened–I think if this is our path we should really consider legislation for which restroom Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster have to use–because, well, you never know).  This isn’t about that.  It’s about fear.  We are far too often afraid of what we don’t understand.  We don’t like it.  We don’t want to be associated with it.  That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist though.  That doesn’t mean we don’t have to rationally address it.

I hate chemistry.  You could probably even argue that I’m afraid of it.  I don’t get to bury my head in the sand about it though.  It exists.  It’s very real.  And, should I live my life in a similar fashion to many of my fine North Carolinians, I could mix a bunch of household chemicals together all at once to get a super-chemical to clean my toilets and end up severely hurt. . .

While that parallel seems funny to some and outlandish to others, it isn’t a too far off comparison.  Transgenders/Transsexuals are people.  Real people.  With real feelings.  They are our neighbors, our co-workers, our friends, our waiters and waitresses, we worship with them, eat with them, and *gasp* use the bathroom with them too.  And most of the time, we don’t even realize it.  That’s the point.  That’s always been the point. You would be uncomfortable seeing any of the above walking into the bathroom they don’t “look” like they belong in, and they would be equally uncomfortable being required to enter said restroom.  So why make it an issue?  To put an even finer point on it, who is checking?  Should we have someone checking birth certificates?  Should we have someone inspecting genitals?

What makes us great is our differences.  We don’t all believe the same things, we don’t all worship the same way, we don’t all have the same taste in movies, and we aren’t all attracted to the same people.  So what?  While I personally believe that my taste in craft beer is superior to yours, that doesn’t make you less of a person in my eyes (no matter how delusional I think you may be).  That’s your choice.

I don’t understand the “T” in the LGBT.  I don’t.  Truly.  It doesn’t make sense to me.  I can’t wrap my head around it.  That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.  That doesn’t mean I get to dictate the lives of those who do get it. . .those who live it.  In fact, I feel that it is my duty as a citizen to defend that right–to fight for the “T’s” (and every other letter of the alphabet for that matter).  My lack of understanding doesn’t mean that I get to have a lack compassion or support.

This isn’t even the part of the bill that bothers me the most.  Here it is, and if you haven’t read it, do so–it’s short:  h2v1.  My biggest problem lies in page 4, line 26 in the underlined word we added to the already existing language:  “biological.”  What this means is that prior to this bill, North Carolina law made it illegal to discriminate (in hiring practices) on the basis of sex.  Now, it is only illegal to discriminate (in hiring practices) on the basis of biological sex.  This is a very important distinction.  This means that while it is illegal to discriminate in the hiring process on the basis of birth certificate sex, it is not illegal to discriminate on the basis of identified sex.  So, if the top picture above applies for a job in North Carolina and supplies documentation stating he is a legal female, that person can be denied employment based on that fact alone.  Forget qualifications, forget ability, forget desire…you can tell this person, “we aren’t hiring you” without repercussion because of the way they dress or live their life.

In 1953 you could make the same kind of determinations based on the color of someone’s skin.  It dictated where they could go to school, where they could eat, where they could use the restroom. . .  But, in 1954, Brown V. The Board of Education ended segregation as we knew it in the United States.  Segregation based on skin color was wrong, and we as a people, we did something about it.  This is not at all different from where I’m standing.  Segregration based on race, religious creed, socioeconomic status, weight, age. . . is wrong.  We know that.  We know that deep down.  Is sexual orientation or gender identification any different?  If you think so, I’d challenge you to tell me why.

This bill is costing our state.  Numerous concerts, broadway shows, conventions, corporate expansions, and sporting events have already cancelled their planned appearances in my state because of this bill.  States and companies have told their residents and employees to skip trips to NC all together.  This is costing us revenue.  This is costing us opportunity after opportunity (I have my own feelings on the legitimacy of this approach, but that’s for another post), and it is costing us real dollars.

We are better than this bill.  We are better than this treatment of others.  It’s time to fight this with our mouths and our dollars.  I urge you if you are as outraged as I am to do something about it.  There are fantastic groups you can volunteer with or donate to and I urge you to do so.  Call your representatives.  Express your disdain.  Vote to change this if given a chance, and if not, vote out the people that said this law was ok.

I don’t now, nor will I ever care where you pee.  But that isn’t really the point is it?

Nonpartisan.  If you know me, you’ve already rolled your eyes at the thought that I’m going to be able to write this down the middle.  Here goes nothing:

I got hooked on HBO’s, “The Newsroom.”  A friend challenged me to watch the first episode several years ago, and I was immediately hooked.  In that first episode, the lead character is asked why, “America is the greatest country in the world.”  His response brought me chills, and still does.  The crux of his response was quite simply that, “it isn’t.”  America isn’t the greatest country in the world.

“It sure used to be… We stood up for what was right. We fought for moral reason. We passed laws, struck down laws, for moral reason. We waged wars on poverty, not on poor people. We sacrificed, we cared about our neighbors, we put our money where our mouths were and we never beat our chest. We built great, big things, made ungodly technological advances, explored the universe, cured diseases and we cultivated the world’s greatest artists AND the world’s greatest economy. We reached for the stars, acted like men. We aspired to intelligence, we didn’t belittle it. It didn’t make us feel inferior. We didn’t identify ourselves by who we voted for in the last election and we didn’t scare so easy.”

I’m old.  Not old-old.  But old enough to remember a time when I truly thought that America was the greatest country in the world.  I remember when pride in our country didn’t equate to being a redneck, gun-toting, muslim-hating, gay-bashing, bible-slinging, beer-swigging, country music blaring. . . well you get the point.  It seems as though now being proud to be, “all about #Merica” is some sort of negative thing.  How did we get here?  How did we get to a place where one of the world’s greatest superpowers has become a punch line to the jokes of the rest of the world.  And boy, we aren’t helping much.

In fact, this impending presidential election is without a doubt making things much worse.  Much, much worse.  This upcoming election will be highly contested.  There will be a litany of ads disparaging both parties (with very few actually talking about the “good” aspects of either candidate).  No matter what side of the election you’re on, is your choice really a good one?

To my Republican friends:  the fact that your party can’t put up a candidate for the upcoming presidential election that doesn’t wipe the floor with Hillary is disgusting.  It shouldnt’ be close.

To my Democrat friends:  the fact that your party can’t put up a candidate for the upcoming presidental election that doesn’t wipe the floor with Trump is disgusting.  It shouldn’t be close.

No matter which side you support, do you truly believe this is the best that your party has to offer?  Do you truly believe your candidate is an accurate representation of you?  Do you truly believe your candidate is an accurate representation of this country?  Do you truly believe that your candidate represents the best this country has to offer?  Do you think that your candidate is the best American to represent us amongst the rest of the leaders in this world?

Throughout history, our presidents have represented the best of us (irrespective of what you think of the last several. . .).  They were always best of what our country had to offer.  Our presidents were our commanders.  Our presidents were real leaders.  They were there to lead us, not to be led by what’s best for corporations paying for their campaigns.  They led us against attackers both foreign and domestic.  They took an oath to preserve and protect the Constitution.  They desired what was best for us…each of us.

I don’t think Trump wants what’s best for me.  I don’t think Hillary does either.  I don’t believe this is the best we have to offer.  I think we can do so much better, I truly believe we deserve a much better representation of us…of, “We the people.”  We.  What will it take for us to move from an us/them mentality to a, “we” again?

We aren’t debating the issues.  We aren’t arguing about what will make this country better.  We aren’t building each other up the way our forefathers imagined.  We’ve come so far what our founding fathers imagined we would be.  I fear we haven’t gone in the right direction though.

My genuine fear is that this election will be so polarizing that irrespective of which candidate wins, one thing will be certain:  “we” all lose.

So, before you post (or yell) about how horrible the other guy or gal is, I’d simply ask you to look at your candidate and ask, “Is this really the best our country has to offer?”

I think an honest answer will be, “no.”  So when we’re faced with the realization that these candidates are not the best we have to offer, that this country is not as great as it once was (and no, I’m not pandering to the, “make America great again” crowd), and we are each faced with the stark realization that we are perhaps moving backwards as a nation. . .we are left with a simple choice:  continue down this separatist path of destruction, or embark on a brand new journey of America.

Our two-party system is broken.  This election is proof.  Our country is broken…just look around.  We can fix it though.  I truly believe we can.

 

 

The aforementioned clip–warning, there’s some strong language