Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Standing on Solid Ground

Today I got an e-mail from one of the senators of Michigan. It isn’t important which one it was but what the e-mail contained. In the e-mail was a request for me to take a stand on an amendment to a proposal for hate crime legislation.

To bring you up to date, on record now is an act, the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This act is now up for amendment due to the limitations that are part of the original act. The amendment has already been approved by one vote in the Senate. Now before a House-Senate Conference Committee, it is imperative that you and I, citizens of this country to voice our opinions on this issue because President Bush plans to veto it.

The act stands now defining hate crimes as offenses motivated by race, ethnic background, religion and national origin. The trouble with that is it does not cover all that entails a hate crime. This is why there is an amendment introduced to it. The amendment will bring into the act a few more details on what is a hate crime. It will insert sexual orientation, gender and disability.

Now you tell me why this should be vetoed by the president? Does he feel that any of the descriptions given for hate crimes are not valid? I personally could not even imagine which part he is against. As far as I know being a Black (ethnic/race) woman (gender) who is a devoted Baptist (religion) may have experienced discrimination in the past or that which may come in the future, be denied the right to protection under the law. Can you tell me no part of this legislation pertains to you? I don’t think so.

So it is up to you, me and others to let the conference committee know, the amendment to the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act is passed. No one should be left out in the cold to be stomped, harassed, or any other way haters find to disrespect an individual that is not like them. Please go to
Hate Crimes to let them know you are against any hate crimes committed and you want the amendment passed. Yes, the democratic senators are doing this but shouldn’t republicans be in on this too?

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

The Old Refrain, So Much Work, So Little Time

I know, I know, I have been away for a while. I admit, this blogging thing gets the best of me. I have so many thoughts on the happenings in this country and no time to express them. Each day as a self employed individual I am constantly looking for work in my field (freelance writer) and doing the work I already have in the field. If I am not doing that, I am doing school work. Did I tell you school started last month? If that isn’t enough, I have workshops to do which were commissioned some time ago. Am I making excuses? No. Just letting you know, time is of the essence for me. There are only so many minutes in a day.

While I am completing the above mentioned tasks, I watch the news and hear the going ons around the country. I also listen to a particular radio station while on the road which gets me riled. Either way it goes, I just don’t seem to have time to blog. And people wonder why I say I need a wife.

Now before you go thinking I am gay, the answer to your question is, no I am not. The reason I say I need a wife is because of old traditional “wifey” roles. I need a wife because I need someone to do my housework, run my errands, do all the house shopping (groceries/dry goods), get the oil changes done, pay the bills, search for jobs, do my PR work, etc. If I had a wife then I could finish the 2nd edition of my book The Write Life, write a daily blog, do my homework, go to more writer events, attend writing children’s book workshops, get out for entertainment/relaxation more, read my daily devotionals, etc. You see where I’m going with this?

I am only one person who lives alone with little outside contact most of the time. So I have to prioritize the things I have to get done and sorry to say, the blog is not at the top of the list. Trust me when I tell you grad school is nothing like undergrad and writing books take a lot of time. Don’t let me leave out the running around with the high cost of gas here in Michigan. It is at the top of the list around the country. What is entertainment/relaxation? Oh how I wish I could remember.

All of this is what I have to do by myself and then some. Did I tell you I don’t work on Sundays? I spend that time with the Lord and my mother. So there you have it. If you don’t hear from me for a while, it’s because I am just too busy. Most likely looking for a wife.