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Cory Doctorow

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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

A world away fairly close by

(h/t to Jesus' General for the link to the story below)

A controversial intersection of politics, religion and the 4th of July happened earlier this month in Hyrum, UT:

The Hyrum City Council is being criticized for allowing the closing prayer at the city's Fourth of July program to be given in Spanish.
[. . .]

Maria Montalvo, of Hyrum's Church of God Ebenezer, asked if the prayer could be offered in Spanish and translated into English.

"She does speak some English, but she was uncomfortable with standing in front of everyone and speaking English," Miller said. "She asked if we would mind if she did it in Spanish, and we didn't see that there was a problem with that as long as it was translated."

The decision has been criticized as unpatriotic and wrong in a flurry of recent letters to the Logan Herald Journal. One letter, from LaVon G. Hanson, a World War II veteran from Logan, called for the city council to be "impeached and sent to Mexico."

The article continues by saying that the prayer offered in next year's July 4th celebration won't be in Spanish.

I had all sorts of questions after reading this. First, where is Hyrum, Utah and who was likely in the crowd at that celebration that might have been unnerved by the bi-lingual pronouncement. A quick search finds Hyrum about 80 miles north of Salt Lake City surrounded by the mountains and trees of the Cache National Forest. Another quick search finds the Census Bureau figuring roughly 12% of the state's population is of Hispanic/Latino origin.

I'm still mystified as to what is to be feared by praying out loud in Spanish anywhere in Utah, let alone in Hyrum. Then again, I'm afraid of flying. I can trace my fear to a very turbulent commuter flight I took as a teenager. In spite of a lot of study into the physics of flying, the design of jet engines, the training and refreshers commercial jet pilots get all the time, etc., I still grab the arms of my coach seats in sheer terror whenever the "fasten safety belt" sign rings then turns on in the middle of the flight. The only time that cursed ring/light switched on calms me down is when I know the plane is headed toward the landing strip.

Then again, perhaps I do understand what all of the irrational fear is about. It doesn't mean I will stop flying nor does it cease my wonder at watching large commercial jets floating down to a landing whenever I'm near LAX. In spite of the controversy this past July 4 in Hyrum, perhaps that prayer touched someone in the crowd who needed to hear it and did not feel compelled to fire out a fear-filled screed to the local paper.


Sunday, July 25, 2010

first lieutenant part two



Quite a moving moment. This is where Choi's and my paths begin to part, I suppose. Choi stands to be the face of a movement, while I try to write about it by relating it to my own experiences.

I have submitted my first resume. Not quite the same as handing my proverbial "you're fired" papers over to a U.S. Senator, but a journey of a thousand miles . .

Thursday, July 22, 2010

1st Lt. Choi and I now have two things in common

Before today, it was just one thing uniting us. The unity between any two out gay men makes many nervous, giggly, squirmy to talk about. In all fairness, he doesn't know me and me seeing him interviewed tonight does nothing earth-shattering in me getting to know him as a person.

He and I will always be gay.

Now, we both share this particular day as the day we both were fired from our primary livelihood.

While Lieutenant (now "Mr.", I guess) Choi admits to having been in his chosen livelihood "since (he) was eighteen (years old)" and I was working a 40 hour a week (not including the 1 hour lunch time and 80 minute, one-way commute) for the last 16 months, the feeling he described having for much of the day nicely sums up my own feelings in the last few hours since my unceremonious firing.


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There is every possibility that Choi has a career as a rally/protest/community organizer, a politician or even make some other use of the skills he learned while in the National Guard.

While he weighs his options, I will weigh mine. Meanwhile, with all of this free time on my hands, maybe I'll post a little more often.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

My Afternoon with Amma, the Hugging Saint


I saw her a few years ago when she was visiting Los Angeles. I was feeling too ill to stay for the darshan; however, the service she led beforehand was filled full of music and stories. Amma was so filled with the spirit, especially during the music, that it filled the auditorium and flowed out the doors. A shared "Ohm" with the people in that auditorium completed the evening for me and, as I watched the first few people receive the darshan, I had a bit of an epiphany. The darshan is much like the Communion I help serve in my church on most Sundays -- a sharing of common experience, a blessing said and a hug at the end. Each of us has it within us to give this blessing to each others and those we meet the first time.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Friday, July 2, 2010

Jimmy Kimmel Production Crew Fights Abortion Protesters


The protesters were out in force yesterday and on Friday June 25 between Hollywood Blvd & Highland and Hollywood Blvd and Orange -- about two blocks worth of banner-style "aborted fetus pictures" lining the street much like ads around the edges of a baseball field. They clogged up foot and car traffic both times (I walk that stretch of sidewalk to/from work). The timing on this? Try the on-going Supreme Court Justice confirmation hearings. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/39329.html
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

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