Bush talk...

It seems our president suddenly realized that the NAACP exists...and people call the man slow. It only took him six years to finally answer an invitation. Then, as if no one was supposed to notice, he immediately begins sucking up. Here's a portion of the speech....

Thank you all very much. Thank you very much. Bruce, thanks for your introduction. Bruce is a polite guy, I thought what he was going to say, it's about time you showed up. And I'm glad I did. See, I see this as a moment of opportunity. I have come to celebrate the heroism of the civil rights movement, and the accomplishments of the NAACP.

Republicans are really sad when they come to us as a people only when they are in trouble. In a way, Democrats do this too but not to the extent. Democrats have a different cross to bear, that of complacency. They figure African Americans will always and naturally vote Democrat. That assumption can bite a Democrat in the butt if they aren't careful.

Even with the problems in the Democratic Party, I can't see much that would make me vote Republican. I look at Bush and ask myself, what has he done to help my life? Has he even considered that there are blacks in this country until this week? What has he done to show blacks that he cares about issue specific and special to us?

Many say Clinton did nothing while in office. I say those people weren't paying attention.

Political matters

Despite my blog name, I haven't spent much time griping about politics, mostly because my experience as a Liberal in a Conservative area goes beyond politics. Today, I experienced something that was quirky, awkward and funny all at the same time...sad too. While eating lunch with co-workers, one white, one Asian (mentioning their races will be apparent in a moment) a little girl at another table began pointing at us.

I paid no attention until I realized her mom was gripping her hand so tightly and talking sternly to the girl as to make her cry out in pain. Then I realized what she was saying, "Look mom, a black person..." Once I realized that, it wasn't a big deal. I concluded the kid has been very sheltered to be that impressed by seeing me. This kid appeared to be about 4 so she has had time to see blacks...but apparently has been shielded from them. That's a possibility...there are others but I'm going with that one.

My white co-worker was surprised, the Asian one said he got the "Chinese eyes" thing all the time where kids stretch their eyes to look Asian.

How sad in 2006 that people don't let their kids know about other cultures, etc. What was more troubling was the woman hurt her daughter for pointing. Being the mother of a son who will soon embarass me in many ways by pointing his crooked finger at people, I don't intend to crush his finger to make him stop.

People (this happened in Johnson County, of course) need to get their kids out more.

Tigger eating Thumper

I read the San Francisco Chronicle almost every day just to keep up on the happenings of my hometown. Today, I found a blog I just may have to read regularly.

Here it is, The Poop. The story I loved is about feeding time at the San Francisco Zoo. In a previous post, I slammed the KC Zoo. Trust me, the San Francisco Zoo had and has problems too but talk about a way to get them into the door.

They throw dead rabbits to the lions and tigers at a special feeding time that is super popular. KC Zoo has an attendance problem...this would get them in the doors!

Creek-Water crossing

This is a story I wrote about a CrossWalk America walker. He was a surprise to them and a surprise to me. A unique but really nice and what I would call a -real- person. Maybe it's the old hippie in me talking but I just wanted to write my impressions of the guy.

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Taking a hike for peace.

Activity filled the sitting room of Asbury United Methodist Church, 75th
Street and Nall Avenue, Prairie Village, as members of CrossWalk America
set up projection screens, video cameras, shot photos, and set out
literature to prepare for a presentation of their cause June 28.

CrossWalk America is a group of progressive Christians trekking 2,500 miles
from Phoenix, Ariz. to Washington to profess Jesus Christ¹s message of love
of God, self and neighbors.

Amidst all the activity sits "surprise walker" Mark Creek-Water, a
"houseless, not homeless man," enjoying a vegetarian pasta and salad
provided by church members.

A veteran of many peace walks, Creek-Water has walked across the country
many times and had to walk more than 600 miles to join CrossWalk America.
"I began walking on Ash Wednesday and got to Phoenix on Easter Sunday,"
Creek-Water said. "I walked to Phoenix for Lent."

The "perfesser," as Creek-Water is listed on an Oakland, Calif., article for
the Street Spirit newspaper, says he loves to walk.

Creek-Water kept CrossWalk walkers informed of his progress through email,
his prefered way of staying in touch with family and friends. He regularly
emails updates on the progress of CrossWalk America.

Golden brown skin covers Creek-Water's 120 to 125 pound frame. He says he
has always been thin but maybe he is a little too small now.

"I'm embarassed at how skinny I am," Creek-Water said. "I get out of the
shower and look at myself and it¹s embarassing."

His ears show signs of healed sunburn. His teeth are not pearly white but he
does not hesitate to smile broadly. He opens a two-inch think notebook
revealing handwritten notes, poetry, thoughts, and descriptions and
intricately drawn images of road signs and other objects.

"I hope I can make this into a book when the walk is done," Creek-Water
said.

Turning the pages, Creek-Water adds an entry for the day at Asbury church.
He wrinkles his forehead while writing the note before thumbing through
other sections of his book. Wearing cut-off jeans and a green T-shirt
that reads, "American Born and Bred," he stops briefly on a page describing
horse apples.

"It's a fully little green fruit but I don't think horses eat them," reads
the page.
Creek-Water's head is covered with a baseball cap and large, beat-up
athletic shoes swallow his feet.

"I have two other pairs (of shoes) but when you get them new, sometimes they
cause blisters," Creek-Water said. "I don't have blisters on the bottoms of
my feet but right here, on the top."

Creek-Water and CrossWalk walkers have made it through Missouri on their hike to Washington. God willing and with a bit of financial help from people like me, he and they will make it for the Sept. 3 celebration.

Animal cruelty

Every now and again I will get phone calls at my job. Sometimes they are nutbars, sometimes they are just concerned people. On rare occasions, you get the concerned person who just may or may not be a nutbar too. I got a call like that today.

A man called and commented about something I already knew, the inhumane treatment towards animals in the so-called "heartland." He said he was from Colorado and since moving here he had seen some terrible things happening to animals. Since this is the Bible Belt and people profess to love Jesus, he just couldn't understand why people would treat their animals so cruel. He said many times he sees animals tied to trees in thunderstorms - no water, shelter or food. Or he has seen animals tied up in blistering heat. Here is his question to me...how to Christians reconcile themselves to treating God's creatures in such a way?

Why he thought I had that answer, I have no idea. I was ready to write him off but the tone of his voice swayed me. He didn't sound crazy. He was passionate.

I have seen some of this cruelty also and mentioned it. The person I spoke with was more annoyed with this man's generalization about the Bible Belt than with what he said about the animal cruelty. The person said people all over the country treat animals as badly as they do here. WRONG!!!

I didn't go there because I knew it would be a moot point but animals are not treated the same everywhere. I have noticed animal cruelty is much more acceptable here than in other parts of the country. I have no idea why, but I know this to be a fact from my own witnessing.