Whites only scholarship

Once again, a group of uneducated whites are trying to prove that they are discriminated against when it comes to scholarships directed at minority groups.

Joe Mroszczyk, president of the College Republicans at Boston University, created a $250 Caucasian Achievement and Recognition Scholarship. Applicants must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher; they must write two essays; and must be at least one-quarter Caucasian.

The guy said it is to spark debate. OK, we can debate. He says racially based scholarships are 'ridiculous.' That's because he's a white guy...and a Republican. (and they wonder why many minorities don't like that political party)

He calls this "racial preferences." That is what is ridiculous. Specifying that someone must have a certain amount of one particular race (not even half, but one-quarter) is not a racial preference. His scholarship and attitude are in error because it presumes an equal playing field exists. Whites are not facing discrimination because a few minorities have created paths for success for themselves. In fact, it was the exclusivity of the whites that caused these types of stepping stones to be created in the first place.

If minorities had been treated fairly in the first place, such scholarships for minorities would not have been created. If we were treated fairly now, those scholarships would disappear. An example is with baseball. When baseball was segregated, the Negro Leagues was created. After baseball began accepting blacks, the Negro Leagues went away.

My last point on this issue is this...if whites really think they are facing racial discrimination in any form, please tell me which minority group you would be willing to trade places with.

Don't equivocate about having self pride...if minorities are so priviledged (your word, not mine) then which group would you like to be?

Can we gloat yet?

As I write this it is midnight and the beginning of a new day for the country. Thank God people pulled their heads out of the sand...or maybe a darker smelly part of their body...and now see what has been happening. It's sad that it took so much for people to stop being scared of the terrorists and realize what is happening in this country.

I think Nancy will be a fantastic Speaker of the House. Nothing against the other guy but finally, it is time for a woman to have that power. It has been long past time for a change. How many more people have to die in Iraq? We have lost that war, that is clear. You can't fight a concept, you have to fight a country.

I guess it is needless to say that I am happy as a pig is slop to see my candidates win. However, sadly, Sara Jo Shettles lost in Clay County. Sam Graves, Bush's personal lap dog/attack mutt, defeated her with his money and connections. Otherwise the people of Clay County would have to be just as delusional as our president. Graves votes with the president on every issue and cares nothing for the environment and rewards big oil. Check out his record. This I know from dealing with his people. He is too big a wuss to talk directly to the press. Yet, the people of Clay County re-elected the bum.

Regardless, things are about to change in this country and it is not coming a minute too soon. I love it when my party wins!

Can I hate him any more???

Ward Connerly is a piece of work. I can not believe this man but I must realize these types have always existed. These are people who sell out their own race to get spoon fed personal priviledges. This is Ward Connerly. He is leading a nation wide effort to destroy Affirmative Action because he feels it is unfair and discriminatory to whites.

Apparently we have never had successful white businessmen, presidents, politicians, or religious leaders. The white people of this country are being held down by blacks benefitting from Affirmative Action.

To let you know how sick this Connerly guy is, his initiative to kill Affirmative Action in Michigan is backed by the Ku Klux Klan. Did he disavow them? NO! He welcomes the endorsement from a group that sanctioned violence and murder of people of Connerly's race. He has stooped so low it is beyond disgusting. It shows a level of self hate this man has that is truly amazing.

Many whites in California, where Connerly was successful and many young minorities AND women are now suffering from his campaign, admired Connerly. Many white women in denial that they also benefitted from AA voted to kill AA. Now, I hope they really see this man for who he really is...a self-hating black man who would have helped slave masters kill other slaves to ensure his life was safe.

Man as God, more stem-cell stuff

As I studied more and more about stem-cell research and why opponents oppose
this issue, it struck me that no one is asking a particularly critical
question. Opponents keep saying that the cell created by SNCT is a full
human being. They say that cell is a clone. There is the problem.

If that cell is a full human being made in the likeness of God, how did
human beings create it? When a scientist creates that blastocyst, is he/she
suddenly elevated to level of God. That scientist, according to the
religious opponents to stem-cell research, has created a new human being.
Only God can create life so how can this scientist do so also?

The critical issue that the evangelists don't want to talk about is that to
create a "full human being" one must either be God or be doing something
that God allows. I saw this in the creation process. Many would say God
allows us to do a lot of bad things. However, those bad things are typically
a destructive process, not creation.

Also, if the evangelists oppose stem-cell research, they should also oppose
in-vitro fertilization. That process also experiments on humans...the mother
and the child. The dad, pardon the crudeness, just gets to play with himself
a bit then worry about medical procedures his wife must endure.

I support Missouri's Amendment 2. As a person who has done IVF and who has a
disease that may be cured by stem-cell research, I'd be a hypocrite and a
fool to oppose this.

Stem-cell battle

This picture is curtosy of KU Med Center

You would have to be half dead to not be aware of the battle over stem cell research raging in Missouri right now. Is it cloning? Was Michael J. Fox acting? Is Rush Limbaugh right? What does Jim Talent think? What does Clair McCaskill think?

Lots of questions. Now, First Family Church has jumped into the fray with all their opinions on the issue. The good Christians at that church have the right to speak their peace but do they have the right to lie and scare people? Apparently, under the guise of opinion and claimed facts, they do.

A sermon by Pastor Jerry Johnston goes on and on about the horrors and dangers of approving Ammendment 2 in Missouri. If passed, according to the reverend, Missouri will become a fetus farm and babies will be experimented on to create stem cells and cure diseases for others. One group of people should not be experimented on "Nazi style" to help another group.

WHOA DUDE!!! What does Ammendment 2 really allow?

Well, embryos from IVF would be used to extract stem-cells. The thing is, these embryos are destined to die anyway. They are embryos that will be donated for research by people who will not try to have a baby with them. The other stem-cells will come from what some call cloning. Basically, as seen in the picture, a cell creates the stem-cells. That blastocyst is created by taking a human egg cell, removing the nucleus and replacing it with the nucleus of another cell. That blastocyst then produces stem-cells but will -NEVER- grow into an embryo or a human being. This is what some call cloning. Basically, if you put that blastocyst into a uterus...it MIGHT grow into a human. This is what they call cloning.

Millions with horrible diseases will die while a few who are afraid of medical progress scare others who don't inform themselves.

I just got diagnosed with diabetes two weeks ago. If this process could find a cure, I am all for it. A blastocyst is not a human being. An embryo destined to die anyway can do some good. I have a strong belief in God and had my son through fertility medical treatments. I am totally in favor of Ammendment 2. I think it will fail because of fear. What a shame!

What a twit!

Talk about throwing a huge bone to the Democrats! I always thought Bush
wasn't very smart but to do this is amazing. He just shot himself in the
foot in our sound bite world.

For those unaware of the latest news, Pres. Bush was on ABC News in a one on
one interview with George Stephanopoulos. Bush said the war in Iraq could be
compared to the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, seen as the turning point in that
war. Anyone with sense knows we lost that war on multiple levels.

Now, of course Bush qualified his answers with explanations but the damage
is done. Any politician with a minimum amount of intelligence and sense
would NEVER say a conflict they created is similar to a failed conflict in
American history.

This is am amazing implosion of the Republican Party. Democrats don't have
to do much of anything (except NOT screw up) and the Republicans are handing
power back to us. It will be our unfortunate job to clean up after the
elephants. Anyway you look at it, donkey shit weighs less than elephant
shit.

Campaigns firing up...

As the days go by I notice that election campaigns are getting more and more fired up. The fight between Jim Talent and Claire McCaskill is getting particularly ugly. He claims she didn't perform nursing audits, she says she did and Talent is hurting seniors, not her. Interesting, the whole thing. They seem to be focused on talking about seniors and not much else. It's a "he said, she said" sort of situation. That said, I'll still vote for Claire. Talent isn't a good enough Republican for me to jump ship.

What Republicans aren't saying is they -need- Talent to win. I hope and pray the House and the Senate return to Democratic control. The Republicans have had power for too long and the corruption is showing. With issues like the Foley scandel how can any so-called "morally superior" Republican talk about Clinton anymore. At least Bill went for an adult woman and not a male child.

I've been listening to talk radio lately also...talk about grabbing for straws. They tout the good economy and completely ignore the deaths in Iraq. How blind can these people be???

Too long coming...

I think this moment took WAY too long in coming. Pres. Bill Clinton on Fox network telling them off!!! WOO-HOO!!!

This was needed and despite efforts to make him sound like a kook, he made a lot of valid points regarding the "right" painting him as the cause of 9/11.

Frankly, I don't think any one person can be blamed for the incident. A lot of people can be made to seem at fault but that just distracts from the fact that the ones at fault are the ones who committed the crime.

Bill Clinton advises critics to read Richard Clark's book. I think if they are very confident about their accusations, read the book then think it over again. Clinton said a lot and it was not disputed. Fox does ask Democrats questions they wouldn't dare ask a Republican...like, when bin Laden was gearing up and planning this attack, why did you say Clint was "obsessed" with bin Laden. They accused him of "wagging the dog" and the very same people who criticized him then, blame him now for not doing enough.

The Republican party is pretty bad. I think it's too much power for way too long.

Dying palms

The signature (although imported) palm trees in the Los Angeles area are
dying. Some would say that is not a big loss...they were brought to southern
California from other countries and therefore probably should have never
been there in the first place.

For me, I agree that they should not have been brought there. However, when
I think of southern California, I think palm trees. It is sad to see them
dying.

Apparently, according to an NPR report, fungus and old age are killing them.
The people of LA don't seem too upset but Hollywood will never let them all
go. People decorate their yards with palms regularly but I doubt you will
see a 100 foot palm in someone's back yard.

She's BAAAACK!!!

I haven't posted in a while but that does not mean things are not on my mind.

Right now, racism and it's ugly nature is sitting at the forefront of my brain. I work in a predominately white company and county. By "White," I mean a very, very specific definition of the word. At the risk of sounding like many White racists, I have plently of friends who are white. :^) However, my friends are white, in that is the color of their skin, not "White," as in culturally I pretend to be open to diversity but I really want all you coloreds to keep your place beneath me.

I never met White people until I moved to this Red state. When I started blogging I knew one day I'd have to write something about my experiences with racism. This may be a series, in fact, I can't see how it won't be so it is best to start with one of my first experiences...and there are plenty.

I attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a double major in English and Mass Communications. The very naive me (in regards to race relations anyway) had no idea why a particular White girl was consistantly rude towards me. I don't mention her name not to save her embarassment but simply because I can't remember it. I could not figure it out for years. Being rude is one thing but to actively sabotage my efforts at education is another.

We had the misfortune to end up in the same communications class working on the same group project...a study of high school culture. Our group was large so we split it into three sub-groups. I was on a group with her and another white girl. Long story short, when I made an attempt to contribute to the group project, she regularly shut me down saying my contribution would not work. Even worse than her was the other girl who would sit silently while this happened. She is the worse offender because people like that sat quietly while Nazis killed Jews.

This experience was stranger still. This was a school assignment but the two girls "required" me to drive to their homes in order to work on the project. I had what is popularly called a "POS" car and really did not want to drive to BFE every other night and then pray my car would not stall going home late. They sure as hell were not going to offer me a sleep over, nor would they come retrieve me if I got stranded...BTW, no cell phones in the early 90s so I would have been stuck.

I refused to jump through their hoops but why should I have had to? Why do Whites tell people of color to work hard to get ahead and then stand in the way of that progress. It's because they really don't want people of color to get ahead. These girls would have been perfectly happy to see me drop out of school. They never respected my intelligence and probably never will. These White people are WORSE than the Klan. At least you know where you stand with Klansmen.

Hillary!

There has been a little talk of Hillary Clinton running for president in 2008. Honestly, when I first heard that I thought it was a joke. I honestly thought she'll never win, too many people hate her. Then I thought again...it was kind of like tasting something different, you let it sit in your mouth for a bit and get used to the flavor and texture. Kind of like sushi.

I like the idea of Hillary Clinton being this nation's first woman president, and not just because it would put Republicans in to a hissy-fit. That is reason enough to want Hillary to win but not really a valid or mature reason.

I want her to win because I like her spunk. I like her handling of issues and I admire her saying Bush has treated Congress like a Plantation, you know what I mean. That takes balls and the male Democrats seem to have thrown theirs away. However, that statement puts Hillary into a bad situation.

People in our country want a lady to be a lady...whatever that means. I happen to believe you can be a lady and a strong leader too. Look at Margaret Thatcher. I met her once. She must be about 4'11" tall, yet she had Russia by the short and curlies during the Cold War. We backed her up with Reagan but I think she could have handled herself.

Having a woman leader in America is long overdue. Of course, I also think having only white men run the country is a joke too but they do have the power. I don't just think it is time for a change, it's time for a woman to run this nation. She couldn't do any worse than Bush.

I heard a report on NPR that basically said Hillary is gearing up to be the front-runner. She is earning the most money and creating the most buzz. But can she win? That's the $100,000 question. I hope she will run and win.

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.

--------------------------------------------------------

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.

CrossWalk America

Since moving to Missouri, I haven't gotten the chance to meet very many really interesting people. When it does happen, it's always a good thing. I like people with passionate causes that are aimed at something good and this week, I got to meet a few.

CrossWalk America is a movement to tell the country that hey, not every Christian is a right-wing nutbar. They are walking across America with the message of Christian love for God, self and neighbor. That last one can really stick in people's craw when your neighbors are homosexuals. Personally, I actually do have homosexual neighbors...it's not the first time, probably won't be the last. Like everyone else, they are people too...but I digress.

There are Christians who are NOT bigots....these are them and they deserve not only a voice but to be heard. They proudly say you can be a Christian and love the environment, support separation of church and state and *gasp* support gay rights. They say remember, Jesus said love one another.

A co-worker, when I mentioned the walkers, sarcastically said, "How many are walking...5?" Well, there are 6 core walkers but hundreds have joined in the walk and movement. She isn't very open-minded about these things, which is sad for a person so young.

I hope the Phoenix Affirmations, a doctrine written for the future of Christianity, is really the direction the faith is moving.

Recent polls show people leaving Christianity and with people openly showing their bigotry, it's no wonder. This movement, at the very least, deserves to be heard and if it touches your heart, embraced.

Chicago, Chicago

To quote Doris Day in the film Calamity Jane
"...I just got back from the Windy City, the Windy City is mighty pretty but..." no butt's Doris/Jane, the Windy City has Kansas City beat by a mile!

Chicago has it's problems...traffic is horrible, it's dirty, the subway system is older than I am and it is the definition of urban sprawl. We drove 40 miles and it took about 2 hours with traffic.

Still, Chicago has a lot to do and see. The Field Museum is worth the trip. If you go there, you can't miss "Sue," only the largest, most intact T-Rex ever found. Exhibits like that and the King Tut exhibit make the museum a must see. Although, don't get a brain fart and think you will see it all in one day as me and my family did. This place is HUGE and fascinating, like a maze of exhibits, displays and information.

If you are so inclined to liking man-eaters, there are three more in the Field Museum. The two Tsavo lions who ate railroad workers in the movie "The Ghost and the Darkness" are at the Field Musuem. So is another man-eater, not so lucky as to have a movie...all maneless male lions.

In all, the 8 hour drive was worth the trip.

The mighty has fallen, and is too high to know it!

What the hell happened to Whitney Houston???

Ok, I always thought she was a bit of a snob, a snooty b***h who needed to be taken down a few pegs. I was never really a fan, her music (with the exception of a few songs) was ok. My thoughts when she sang, "I want to dance with someone who loves me" were, she ought to only dance with herself because no one loves her more...but damn! I didn't want THIS to happen to her.

The speech she gave at East Southern University was abismal and indicative of a person with a real problem. She had to be stoned out of her mind...I HOPE.

Here's a short portion of what she said, "Thank y'all for coming to see me tonight. How are you doing? Let's get this party started, yeah! (Assistant whispers to Whitney.) Oh, oh right. What college is this? East Southern University. Well, hello, ESU. ESU, ESU, ESUUUUU (dances). Let me start by saying, I believe that children are our future ... (hums) ... lead the way ... show them all the beauty they possess inside ... shit it's hot. (Wipes brow and drops fur coat to the ground.) Why you having this shit outside, anyway? You never heard of air conditioning?"

If she's not still on the cocaine, I don't know what's going on in her head. She is a sad, sorry case. With all her flaws and whatever I didn't like about her, she was once a physically beautiful woman. Now, she's just a crackhead.

Down goes Fraiser

Gay marriage ban bit the big one today. It may be resurrected one day but for now, it's a dead issue. It should stay dead. If two men or two women want to marry, what business is it of mine. I'm glad small-minded people did not succeed in putting discrimination into the Constitution.

What is wrong with same-sex marriage? Is it the image of two men or two women bumping uglies that some straight people just can't stand?

As it appears for now, some states allow types of unions, others don't. I think it's sad that the area of the country, the heartland, seems to be the most devoid of love for their fellow men and women. People say it's a sin but those same people probably sin every day. NO one is perfect.

Republican agenda, why conservatives should be pissed

I was talking to someone today and the issue of abortion came up. Whether you are for it being legal or not, that person said a very curious thing...Republicans don't care about pro-life issues.

Knee-jerk reaction was to tell this person he is nuts. How can you say that...they scream pro-life. People vote Republican simply to have pro-life candidates. Here in Missouri, ads ran calling Kerry a baby killer because he didn't oppose late-term abortion. Partial-birth abortion is a name they made up to make it sound more horrible than it is so how could these good baby-loving Republicans not care about abortion.

Clarification, Republicans care about abortion, they care to keep it legal. I really thought this person was off then...but he swayed me with his logic and I would challenge anyone to dispute this.

He said Republicans want abortion legal as a voting tool. Catholics and conservatives will vote pro-life, that means Republican generally. Republicans have the power right now to outlaw abortion but haven't done it, it's not even on the agenda. Gay marriage (a whole different issue) is on the forefront.

How do they have the power? They have total control of the government now...the House, Senate, Presidency and the Supreme Court. They could outlaw it because they have the votes to do so...why is abortion still legal if Republicans are pro-choice? Because it is a wedge issue that brings conservatives to the polls.

Gay marriage is another wedge issue and I hope banning it fails. Who cares if two men or women want to marry. Ban divorce if you want to save marriage.

Arkansas vs. Missouri

I went traveling this Memorial Day weekend down south. South is hardly ever my preferred traveling destination but I made an exception this time (as on previous occasions) because it was a family reunion event I attended. I like my family so going to Arkansas to see them isn't such a bad thing.

I mentioned this to some co-workers and I was somewhat surprised by the reaction. There seems to be this persistant feelings among the Missourians I know that Arkansas is this hillbilly-filled arm-pit of the world. I've never lived in Arkansas, only visited a few times, only live in Missouri because of various personal circumstances and would prefer to live in California. Suffice it to say, I have no dog in this Arkansas vs. Missouri fight...but i DO have an opinion.

People of Missouri (the ones to put down Arkansas) should take a visit down south sometime. That state actually has a campaign encouraging people to NOT litter and to rat out anyone you see littering. Missouri could stand some of that back-water advice. That state is much cleaner than Missouri...at least the parts I've seen.

Another point, less roadkill. Missouri roadkill is terrible...right up there with the litter. I even saw a man hit a goose on the freeway one day and didn't even slow down. The bird was almost out of the road and he didn't have to swerve to miss it, all he had to do was slow down a bit. The point is, roadkill, litter are two things easily fixed by cleaning crews.

Missouri has dropped the ball on that one.

Weather, it was hot in the day but cooled off nicely at night. Kansas City can't always say that.

A point for Missouri...fewer bugs up here.

Both states have produced presidents so I guess they are even on that one.

KC Zoo

I went to the zoo this weekend..it costs $8.50 for adults but lucky me, I had free passes. That's a very good thing because I would have been rather disappointed.

The entry is always nice, near the IMAX theater, it's supposed to close so I have no idea what they will do with the space. The gift shop is pretty nice also. Going into the zoo looks great and there's plenty of parking, what more could you ask for? Oh....I don't know...MORE animals and LESS walking, no HIKING!

I worked at the zoo about 15 years ago on the pony rides. I had to walk in a big circle with kids riding ponys all day so I'm not a stranger to walking a lot. HOWEVER, the complaints I heard then are the same ones I have now. It takes 20 minutes, or longer with a kid, to hike from the Australia exhibits to the Africa exhibits. I skipped Australia this trip because I'm aware of the distance between the two. I visited the Asian exhibits and Africa. Anyone who has been there knows I'm not exaggerating about the walking, in the hot sun, and no animals to see on the way...well, a few, but not enough.

The people who created the layout of the KC Zoo still haven't figured it out...you need to see animals, more than 3-4 sleeping, during that 20 minute hike. It's supposed to be a zoo where you WILL see animals, not a nature hike where you have to FIND animals.

Negro Leagues and black/white dating

I like having lunch with co-workers. I know, what does that have to do with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum....getting to that.

Since I was born in California, a thriving hot-bed of diversity, it's hard for me to understand racism in it's many forms. Sure it exists there but rarely do you meet a white person who is really afraid of Blacks simply because of their skin color. I've met a few people in Kansas City like that. To give credit to Kansas City, these people are usually from the middle of no-damned where.

Here's the Negro League tie in...my co-worker just visited that museum and he's a huge baseball fan. Why not sooner, like 10 years ago? Because his "mommy and daddy" taught him that the Historic 18th & Vine district in Kansas City was a dangerous and scary place to go. If you can't guess why it's because all those blacks hang out there. AAAAAGH!!!

I thought about that for a moment and it really annoyed me. This guy is about 6-feet tall and not a small farmboy either. His parents have taught him to be afraid of Blacks and for what reason. To hear him say it, they are afraid he'll become a crime victim. I have another theory.

What do po-dunk whites hate more than having their kid getting beaten or robbed by a black? Their kid bringing a Black person home as a boy or girlfriend. This guys mom and dad would crap bricks if he walked into the house with a black girl on his arm. That's the real fear.

Rolling stereotype

Today was one of the few days in my life where I wish I had a camera phone. Of course, if I did I'd probably have wrecked my car and wouldn't be blogging right now.

Anyway, while driving home a car passed me and I would have to only describe this as a rolling stereotype. It was a black man driving a Mazda Miata with the freedom colors on a personalized license plate that read "stolen."

Why do I see things like that in Kansas City?

cats!

Cats are my favorite animal. They are so independent and stealthy. People call them sneaky and say they hate them. I think those people have too much time on their hands. Why devote any amount of hate to a species? I don't like bugs but I don't hate them.

I went a cat show recently. Those cats are beautiful and well taken care of but cat people are different than dog people in a particular way. Cat shows allow house cats to compete. They don't all have to be purebred. Dog people don't do that.

Ultimately, if you are good to animals (no matter what kind) you are probably a good person in some kind of way.

What's the deal???

There is something I've noticed since moving here. What is the deal with some Kansans and Missourians hating California? I don't get it. If I say something good about California, they have to say something bad. I think it's an inferiority complex but would love to hear from a native who has a better perspective on the issue. I'm obviously biased on this.

Esmie Tseng

Most people outside the KC metro area have no idea who Esmie Tseng is and probably don't care. But that's not a reason to ignore a growing problem in our country. That problem is selective sympathy for particular children being charged as adults.

Esmie stabbed her mother to death after alleged years of abuse. Facts in the case are...Esmie admits to the stabbing, her mom most likely did abuse her, her father did not pay for a lawyer (she had the public defender), she was given 8+ years in adult jail where she will most likely be horribly abused and receive no mental therapy.

I've heard a lot of sympathy for this girl Esmie but very little for other youths charged as adults. In fact, I've heard the opposite...Esmie was abused, yet still a good student, those other kids are just horrible preditors who deserve long jail time. How do you have it both ways? Esmie kept her grades up so that makes her an overall good kid? An abused kid who is flunking out is a preditor?

I would recommend people watch the documentary "Juvies" before throwing the book at every kid who screws up.

I know someone who did a lot of illegal things as a youth...ran away, drank, drugged, broke laws or rules...that same person now professes to NOT want to "reward" illegal behavior and believes -most- youths charged as adults deserve it. That person is a lost cause, others, I highly recommend that documentary.

The Governator!

I lived in California when Ah-nold was elected. The re-call was not our highest moment in political history, but the Governator won fair and square. He's Republican but at least he had the sense to marry a Democrat.

That said, from where I sit here in Missouri, I think he has done an OK job. He seems to listen, unlike Mr. Bush. Of course, Californias had the sense to NOT pass his inititatives.

However, on the issue of immigration, maybe the Reds should listen. After all, Arnold is a Republican himself and he is living in a state directly impacted by illegal immigration...or all those damned Mexicans. He says building a fence would take us back to the stone age.

It's kind of a stupid idea, really. If fences worked so well, why didn't the Chinese keep that wall?

At the pump...

I hope people can see that the offer of $100 to off-set the cost of gas is total BS. It is an obvious ploy to get Americans to say, hey, give me the money while ignoring the cost for the pitiful payout.

WE get $100, big oil gets billions. Who is stupid enough to buy that? Not to mention taking the money means drilling in Alaska wilderness. I hope people can see the obvious ploy to distract us from real issues with a little bit of money.

On top of all that...people whine about $3 a gallon now. When Californians were paying that people said, "That's there..." We have to get rid of the NIMBY attitude. Now, we all are getting it...and not even really getting the total hit.

In other countries, our prices would be a bargain. Americans need to wake up and realize that our prices for gas, even at $3 a gallon, are quite low.

Driving in KC area

I am beginning to truly believe that most drivers around here (from Kansas and Missouri) are really rude. Try getting on I-435 and watch how many people speed up to keep you from getting in front of them. Conversely, if you slow to let someone in, they are hesitant to take the offer. Probably because they know they would never offer you the same. WEIRD!!!

Illegal Immigration

I have purposely avoided this subject until I came to a clear and decisive opinion. There is a lot of rhetoric floating about about Mexicans (call it what it is, no one complains about other illegals, only the Mexican ones). They come here, take our jobs and are a burden on society and don't pay taxes.

Illegal immigrants pay taxes, they pay sales tax everytime they buy something. What they don't pay is payroll taxes...hmmmm, wonder why? Because employers hire illegals and don't put them on the payroll. You know what that means? Some one out there is cooking their books, probably listing wages for illegals as some sort of loss and basically commiting tax fraud. Who is really breaking the law here?

OK, both are. Who do we blame? Illegal MEXICAN immigrants. I have to say this, if they weren't being hired by people commiting tax fraud, they wouldn't come here. These people aren't getting fake social security numbers to appeal legal to their employers. The employers know they are illegal and pay them in cash. There is no paper trail on these people and we yell and scream about them. The employers are criminals too...bigger ones in my opinion because they are getting richer while pointing a finger of blame at illegals.

What next?

After a long weekend, and I mean very long, I wake this morning and thought I'd gone through some bizzare time warp. What do I hear on my morning news but reports that our fantastic leader is considering bombing Iran. WHAT THE F***???

It's a given that Iran has been naughty but where do we get the right to bomb people for that. Reverse the situation and we should be bombed off the face of the planet. America's hands aren't clean in the world.

The part that really blows me away is the logic, and I use the term loosely, of what the expected results are from this bombing campaign. Supposedly, the Iranians will suddenly fear the big bad America and get rid of the naughty government and replace it with a Democracy. The clouds will part and all will be right with the world, all from one bomb. Hmmmmm...isn't that's what was supposed to happen in Iraq?

*Default Republican answer* "It was a good thing to get rid of Saddam. The world is a safer place without him in power."

Well, not so sure about that statement. Saddam isn't Mother Theresa but is Iran better without him. I think our campaign has killed as many as he did and now they are headed straight into civil war.

These hawkish tactics are just not wise. Since the Bush Administration doesn't seem to get it, I'll spell it out...you should never fight a war on two fronts, let alone three. If they can't figure that out, maybe I should send them a copy of my Age of Empires game. I learned that basic fact of war playing that game.

Palm Sunday

Today is Palm Sunday and many Christians are recognizing this day by going to church.

Religion is a curious thing. I have always thought that. It moves people in many ways and unfortunately has been used to control people.

Today I am pondering how many church leaders are preaching something knowledgeable and worthy to be heard and how many are blathering on and on about him/herself.

Conservative talk

I have been listening to conservative talk radio lately. It's a morbid fascination.

I wouldn't care about these shows at all - Hannity, Limbaugh and so on - if several conservatives didn't take what they say as gospel. I mean, it's clearly biased. Liberals can be biased also but here in the "heartland" all you get is conservative shows.

Basically, my issue is simple, the whole world is talking about Bush leaking critical information that could have led to the death of a person literally on the front lines fighting the war on terror. On conservative talk radio they are fixated on McKinney not apologizing for hitting a security guard. What twits!

Let's get things started...

Just posting this to get the ball rolling.

I thought of the name of my blog one day while just watching the news. I live in Missouri and it voted for Bush in the last election. I lived in California at the time and definately voted for Kerry. I really don't understand why Bush was so popular and now that I live around people who actually love him I'm more confused. However, living among these people has taught me a few things. One, they aren't all crazy, that's an easy out. Just call people crazy and that settles the argument and confusion.

If you look beyond the differences then maybe you'll see why they are the way they are. I've met some staunch Republicans and have gone a personal mission to figure them out. Not so I can change their minds, I don't really care if they agree with me or not, but just to understand the growing divide in our nation.

I figure I'll write about Kansas City, friends, family and whatever comes into my mind but definately politics...hence the blog name, "Blue Girl in a Red State." However, if Bush keeps rubbing people the wrong way I may have to change the blog name...maybe "Blue Girl in a Purple State."