Random Interactions

[liveonearth]

In 2005 a 23 year old gay man was murdered in Arizona, and found in the Colorado River near Yuma. I lived in Arizona then, but I did not hear about it. I heard a lot about the Japanese woman who was murdered and found in Havasu Creek. But the boy who played girl was not in the news, not in the river grapevine. I just found out about him today, though an org called Equality Arizona. How they found me and my Oregon address I do not know. I guess I must have made my position known enough about my belief that people have every right to love who they love, and no right to say who someone else may love. It just strikes me as ironic and sad that I hear about this death now, near the end of 2008, from another state. I suppose I'm more tapped into the gay rights movement than I have been in the past. I'm certainly getting more willing to express my views.

There was one thing that Obama said in the debates that won me over substantially. That was his view on abortion. He expressed up front that there are people who believe strongly on both sides of the matter, and that there has been much strife. He expressed his dismay that his support of a woman's right to choose was offensive to some. And then he said that he would like to take actions that would make the issue of abortion less, because abortions would not be needed. I have long imagined that there might be a way through government to help mold society in such a way that less people seek abortions, because there are less accidental, unwanted, or unsupportable pregnancies. To avoid the issue of abortion altogether...by assuring that every fertilized egg had a happy home awaiting....imagine. I was heartened to hear that another person saw it from that angle. Rather than to have it out about the moment that life begins, let us get very serious and focussed about helping life to begin where it is loved and cared for, and not where it will not flourish.

I talked with my dad today. He's from the generation before the baby boomers. What generation is that? He doesn't know and I don't either.

A new study on the baby boomers shows that the suicide rates of white people aged 40-64 have been increasing every year since 1999 for a total of a 16% increase. Blacks are suiciding less, the rates are level for that time period among Asians. There are plenty of theories about the reason for the boomer's increasing depression and suicide, ranging from the imagined vanity of "the youth generation", or the prevalence of drug usage in that generation. Drug abuse is strongly associated with suicide. But nobody really knows. Why do you think middle aged whites are offing themselves in increasing numbers?

In other news, the sales of firearms and ammo has increased 8-10% since the economic shit started flying off the fan.

And in Japan there is a shortage of obstetricians, such that very ill pregnant women are dying from a lack of any doctoring at all. There are those who say that a pregnant woman should be able to get care from any doctor, but the liability of obstetrics has regular physicians closing their doors. Very alarming. I would help a pregnant woman today, if I could, if she needed it, if she couldn't get better help. I would probably get in trouble for it, but I do not see how humans can turn sick humans away to die. I do not understand. Liability be damned.

Another juicy tidbit for the news. The shrub administration is spending 100's of thousands of $$ on official portraits for Cabinet secretaries, military "brass" and others of import in the administration. The portrait of Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld cost $46,790. Old Rummy. I can't help but to think about how far that kind of pocket change would go toward paying for my education.

And last but not least, the fattest man in the world has gotten married. He slimmed down from 1,244 pounds to 683 pounds in time for the event, and didn't have any cake. I wonder if he was able to consummate his marriage.

Comments

[calizen.livejournal.com]

You're saying so much in your post. Each paragraph has things to talk about. So I'll just pick one -- Do you think that the lack of publicity over the gay man's death sprang from him being gay in a homophobic state?

Nope, lying. The shrub administration and the $100,000s on portraits. Why does this not surprise me?

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

Yes....I do think that when a marginalized person is murdered it may be ignored by the mainstream media, whereas when a socially acceptable or respected person is murdered, there is plenty of news coverage on it. We may be created equal, but we are not treated equal.

I take slight exception to calling AZ a "homophobic state". Sure, the culture is predominantly redneck, but it is not entirely, nor is the Oregon culture entirely tolerant....

[calizen.livejournal.com]

Point taken. Perhaps we are unconsciously homophobic, racist, whatever -- we don't mean to be and would be horrified if we were considered that and yet--

[neptunia67.livejournal.com]

My parents are baby boomers. My stepfather, in particular, was raised with a Utopian point of view. His parents had the perfect house in the perfect suburb with a perfect lawn, with three perfect children. They never argued or even disagreed in front of the children; life was perfect. Unsurprisingly, when my stepfather came to adulthood and had to face the responsibilities of REAL life, he struggled, and still does. His two sisters have struggled even more. Both have had multiple failed marriages, and both are alcoholics (although the oldest has not had a drink in many, many years). The youngest has been hostpitalized twice for alcohol poisoning. Perhaps many other baby boomers were raised in the prosperity following WWII only to struggle when real life came along.

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

Yes...this makes sense to me....I think what you are describing at a generational level is now beginning to happen at a planetary level. Going from easy street to working like a dog is a downer. I wish people had better ways to cope than pickling themselves...

[hausfrauatu.livejournal.com]

What generation is that?

The Silent Generation. My Husband's dad is in that cohort. The boomers took credit for one of their main contributions to society, Civil Rights. And oh yeah, ROCK AND ROLL!

My mom is a boomer. Don't get me started...She's still not saving any money for her old age.

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

=-] Maybe she's not planning to be old.